Legend of Colossus
by PickleInACup
Summary: This is a tragic tale of one forsaken Irken who in the search for his own freedom fought for the freedom of all Irkens.
1. Chapter 1

-1

Chapter 1: Tyz the Overseer

Description: Eleven-year-old Zim and Eleven-year-old Scoodge discover a lost piece of Irken history. The Legend of Colossus is a tragic tale of one forsaken Irken who in the search for his own freedom fought for the freedom of all Irkens.

Zim's ship flew through space at top speed. Stars and suns became thin blurs of light as they passed his cruiser's windshield. He cackled manically as he fired laser blasters at anything and everything whether ally, enemy or chunks of scattered matter.

An enemy Flutchtionian ship came into view. Zim zoomed in on it, aiming carefully. "Choke on this!" He sneered with a smirk, raising his firing finger overdramatically high above his head.

"That will be all for today." A deep (deep by Irken standards anyways), raspy voice announced out of nowhere. "Remove your holo-visors."

"Aw, sputch!" Zim groaned in disappointment as he removed his holo simulation helmet in unison with the other thousand smeets sitting in rows of twenty.

Standing in the front of the gigantic virtual training room stood an old, short Irken- the only adult male employed in section 5 of the underground birthing facilities. His skin had turned pale green from lack of exposure to the sun and his antennae had long sense turned grey with age. Across his right eye, down his cheek and halfway down his neck was a battle scar from his years fighting in the Irken/ Planet Jacker war. Despite his height, his stoutness gave him the illusion of immense strength. He wore a stern, vexed expression at all times. Tyz was his name and he gave the orders underground.

His elliptical red eyes struck fear into the army of smeets sitting before him. They teetered on the edge of their seats nervously, awaiting further instruction.

"Your performances will be evaluated over the snack break. I suggest you enjoy yourselves while you can. Some of you might not pass to the next level." He shot a nasty look at Zim.

Zim scowled back at him. The other smeets always tease Zim about how much he resembles Tyz when he scowled. It made the little smeet furious to hear such insults. Zim would become twice the soldier Tyz ever was!

Truth be told, half his DNA (and about two thousand other smeets') most likely originated from Tyz's. After all, smeets did not develop in those test tubes magically. Female and male DNA was still required to generate new Irkens. It only takes a few males to provide a sufficient amount of DNA, however, so the birthing facilities employed mostly females.

"Report to the Conference Hall for evaluation in an hour." Tyz instructed. "I **will** seal the doors. Late comers will automatically forfeit any raise in status."

Zim rolled his eyes, mimicking Tyz's instructions with his hand.

Scoodge nudged him with his elbow. "Come on Zim, it's time to eat!"

Zim hopped down from his chair and followed the crowd towards the door. "So..." He began casually. "Do you think you passed?"

Scoodge shrugged. "Well, I think I've improved from the last time we-"

"I passed!" Zim announced confidently. "My score is going to wipe the floor with everyone's in here! I mastered the virtual laser blasters! They'll have no choice but to let me train with real- OMPH!" Zim stumbled backwards, rubbing his sore head. He bumped into something thick, very thick. "Watch where you're going, Scoodge!" He shoved his chubby friend to the side.

"Z-Z-Zim..." Scoodge pointed upward.

Zim's eyes followed his finger until Tyz's face came into view.

"Don't get your hopes up, Zim." He warned. "You're very trigger happy. Until you can learn to fire with _some_ amount of discretion, you'll be lucky to ever receive official military training."

"May I grab a snack now, sir?" Zim grumbled.

"Of course" Tyz stepped aside and motioned for the smeets to pass. "Stay in line you two."

"Yes sir." The smeets answered in unison, although Zim's tone was much more sarcastic. Zim stomped past the old veteran. Scoodge scurried behind him cautiously. "You're lucky he didn't thrash you senseless for disrespecting an overseer." Scoodge whispered as they entered the hallway.

"I wasn't disrespectful. We're entitled to a snack."

"You're pushing our luck." Scoodge warned. "Just because he hasn't struck us since...since...you know, doesn't mean he'll never do it again."

"Hmph." Zim held his head up high. "Don't you get it, you sniveling Scoodgie thing? We proved ourselves to the old wart by reaching the surface- Not that I give a Vortian turd about what he thinks of my skills."

"The only thing we proved is that you're insane and I'm stupid for tagging along with you."

Zim flashed his friend a dismissive hand gesture. "Nonsense! Tyz is impressed by us. Our advancement to the next level of training is assured."

"If you say so..." Scoodge envied Zim's delusional sense of superiority. If only he could be so confident, but unfortunately he had a shred of sanity left in him. Scoodge knew full well that the overseers were still furious about Horrible Painful Overload Day part Two as the incident was now known. Zim had convinced Scoodge to run away to Irk's surface to explore above ground on their tenth birthday. Scoodge knew it was a bad idea and they would receive severe punishment for it, but he too was antsy from spending their first ten years of life trapped underground, being fed information through a virtually simulated reality.

Through the plumbing and air vents, they made it to the surface. It was amazing. The deep purple night sky, the tall, steel structures, the busy adult Irkens rushing through the streets, the endless traffic of cruisers up above- it was all so breathtaking. Everything went swimmingly until the little smeets accidentally bumped into a Dermis Prowler Security Droid and triggered its defensive mode. Somehow, Zim's presence made it go berserk and the droid caused a planet wide blackout and nearly blew the little smeets to kingdom come. A year later, repairs to Irk's energy systems were still in progress. Fortunately, most of the planet was able to function normally less than a year later.

Still, the overseers were furious with Zim and Scoodge. After they were sent back to the birthing facilities, their female overseer (most likely where the second half of Zim's DNA came from) "Mistress" Sic, beat them within an inch of their lives. Scoodge still had the bruises to show for it. Zim pretended to be completely healed, but he still winced every time he sat too quickly or if something bumped his side.

For whatever reason, Tyz, the one overseer they expected a merciless beating from, never laid a hand on them. He had yet to strike them since (and Zim had given him plenty of reasons to). Not that Scoodge was complaining, but Tyz's new, odd behavior frightened him. He kept expecting the old veteran to come up with a punishment ten times more horrible than the beating Sic had dealt to them.

The mess hall was in sight. A blissful smile formed on Scoodge's face as the line inched closer and closer to the vending machines. "I hope the tall smeets don't hog all the good food by the time we get there."

"Uh hu..." Zim replied absently. He was distracted by an elevator across the hall. Above the mechanical door in bold purple Irken font read "FOR STAFF USE ONLY"

"Scoodge, check it out." Zim pointed towards the elevator. "It leads to the Overseer's quarters."

"Hu?" Scoodge finally took a glance at the elevator. "Oh, probably does. Did you hear? They finally restocked on mini choco- craters!"

"Look! No one's guarding it! Scutch told me the security cameras are still down. I bet we can sneak up there!"

"I don't like the berry flavor craters- Wait, what?"

Zim tugged on Scoodge's sleeve. "Now's our chance; let's go!"

Scoodge jerked his arm free. "No way, Zim! I'm not letting you get us in trouble again!"

"We won't get caught!" Zim assured him. "Do you really think I'm reckless enough to make the same mistake twice?"

"Yes..."

"Don't be a coward!" Zim jumped behind Scoodge and pushed him towards the elevator. "Quit dragging your feet!" He hissed.

"I don't wanna go the overseer's quarters! Please...I'm hungry!"

"It wouldn't kill you to skip a snack!" Zim stopped only when Scoodge was pressed against the wall. "Hold still!" he ordered as she attempted to use his friend's pak as a stepladder.

"Ow! Ow! Watch it!"

"Shhh!" Zim inched his tiny fingers closer and closer to the "open" button. He grunted as he struggled to make himself tall enough to reach.

Scoodge sighed in defeat and stood on his toes, allowing Zim to get just close enough to make it. They screamed as the door suddenly flew open, causing the little smeets to stumble inside.

Scoodge landed on his face. Zim landed on his ass.

"_Name?"_ A computer voice asked.

He coughed, struggling to adjust his voice. "Mistress Sic!" He replied in the best imitation of her voice he could pull off. He figured he had a better chance of passing as Sic than as Tyz.

"_Welcome, Mistress Sic. You will reach your private sector shortly."_

The door began to close. "NO! I changed my mind!" Scoodge tried to make a run for the exit while there was still time, but Zim grabbed his foot and yanked him back inside.

"Nice try."

Scoodge's antennae drooped as the door sealed shut the elevator began to raise.

Zim threw a triumphant fist in the air. "SUCCESS!"

"Tyz is going to _kill_ us..."

a/n: My second Invader Zim fic, yay! (I went back and did some dediting. Nothing major) This one is going to be much more serious and dramatic than Doom Mask, for anyone who has read that one. Legend of Colossus will be a song fic starting from chapter two- a different song each chapter of course. Chapter one is very tame, so I'm putting it on a T rating, but the rest of the story will fully justify an M rating, I assure you. There will be fancharacters, but I'm going to try and stick with Jhonen Vasquez's original formula for the Irken race, their society and history as much as humanly possible.

The Legend of Colossus is loosely based on the movie Heavy Metal, the movie Species and the anime Elfin Leid. I'm not crossing over any of the stories or anything, I'm just using subtle elements from each story. I doubt anyone will recognize the references, but hopefully they will.

Please read and review. Praise and flames welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: White Tyrant

After what seemed like a gruesome eternity sneaking through the halls, Zim and Scoodge came to a stop. "That's Tyz's identification number!" Zim pointed to the Irken numerals engraved on the door. "That has to be his room. Come on!"

Zim gave the door a swift kick. The motion-censored circuits let out a mechanical whine as the door slowly slid open. Zim chuckled. "The bio signature system is still glitching. Too easy…"

"Let's turn back now!" Scoodge begged, unable to pull free from Zim's tight grip on his arm. He trembled as his fellow smeet dragged him through the doorway. "They could be monitoring our every step! Someone is going to-"

"One more word out of you and I'll lock you in the janitorial drone's break room every snack break from now until they enlist us in the invader academy!" Zim threatened with a hiss.

Scoodge gasped. "But- but they only have off brand chips and stale granola bars in the janitorial vending machines!"

Zim ignored him, focusing solely on exploring the contents of Tyz's chamber. It was a small, simple room with purple steel walls and a magenta floor tiling containing only the necessities like a couch, a pak charger, a small cooler and a standard personal computer, which had been left on and was currently displayed a screen saver of bubbles popping.

Scoodge raided Tyz's cooler for a soda and a left over sandwich while Zim jumped on the couch.

"This is dull!" Scoodge griped, still chewing. "I can't believe you made me miss out on the snack break for this."

"Silence!" Zim tossed a throw pillow at him, causing Scoodge to choke on his soda.

"OW!" Scoodge groaned, coughing and dribbling the sticky liquid down his shirt.

Zim laughed, pointing.

Scoodge tossed the pillow back at him, hard. It smacked Zim across the face while he was still in mid air and sent him toppling over the back of the couch. Screaming, Zim landed with a heavy thud on the large key board.

"Oh no!" Scoodge rushed to Zim's side. "Zim? Zim! Are you okay? You took a nasty header."

"Ohhh…" Zim rubbed the back of his throbbing head as Scoodge pulled him to his feet. "You'll pay for that!" He snapped.

"You hit me first!"

"I was only playing! You were out to get me!"

"Was not! I just-" Scoodge became distracted by a series of text scrolling down on the computer screen. "Hey, look!"

Zim turned around. "Neat, he's still logged into his personal cyber account!"

"You must have hit just the right keys when you fell."

Zim placed his hands on his hips, grinning in triumph. "My plan worked! Now we can do some serious snooping on that burned out old hack!"

Scoodge struggled to climb onto Tyz's adult sized chair. Growing impatient with his chubby friend's efforts, Zim pushed him up the rest of the way. Scoodge then pulled him up. Zim's big curious eyes skimmed over the text feverishly. "What's this?"

"In Memory of Colossus." Scoodge sounded out the title slowly.

"What's a co-loss-us?"

"I think it means something really, really big, like a Tallest, but even bigger." Scoodge read further. "I'm having trouble making this out. It's in Irken, but the characters are all screwy, like it was written in a dead dialect or something. Why would Tyz save something like this on his information drive?"

Zim snorted. "He's completely senile! Who knows why Tyz does anything. Well, you're the one who keeps pissing away all those hours in language and public speaking class. Decipher this!"

"Okay, okay, jeez!" Scoodge squinted as he struggled to decode the sentences.

"All of Irk mourned the death of the most wise and just, Tallest Torhna. Torhna gave to his empire prosperity none like any other in this galaxy. No Tallest before and certainly not after raised such a utopia."

"I never heard of any Tallest Torhna!"

"Shhh!" Scoodge scolded him. "Torhna along with his best general, was taken during the upheaval on Hobo 13. His sacrifice brought Irk righteous victory over the Planet Jacker race the Irkens had raised bloody war with for so many generations. Irk was now guaranteed a prime site for the upgraded military training facilities.

But his victory brought despair to the empire. Torhna's heir was a creature most vile and ruthless. High general Kalb the brutal had been measured the next Tallest of Irk. Soon his subjects dubbed him 'The Widower'."

Scoodge paused. Zim's eyes had become saucer size. "Go on, go on!" He urged.

Scoodge took a breath. "In less than a year Kalb had dismantled the Irk Torhna had created and mutilated the empire in his own image. He executed all of Torhna's advisors and replaced them with lab generated Irken replicas called control brains. He sought council with the control brains on all political economic and social matters. He always agreed with them. They always agreed with him.

_"These words he speaks are true  
We're all humanary stew if  
We don't pledge allegiance to  
The Black Widow"  
_Kalb redefined what it meant to be an Irken. His scientists engineered the paks. These paks fused with us, feeding us only the information Kalb wanted us to know. If the paks allowed us to feel hunger, they fed us. If they sucked too much energy from our bodies, they rejuvenated us. Kalb insisted they made us stronger Irkens. The truth, we were no longer Irken at all.

Many tried to remove their paks, longing the feeling of true Irkenhood again, but attempts at removal resulted in death. Our bodies would no longer function without those cold steel plates lodged into our spines. Once Kalb crippled the individual Irken, he sought to dismantle our freedom as a whole. He outlawed all sexual activity committed by non-Tallest Irkens and all Irkens born as a result of them. On the first anniversary of Kalb's anointment ceremony, he ordered every natural born Irken to stand before him on Judgementia. Those he deemed unfit to join his military he executed. Those he deemed too desirable to execute, he raped. Those too young to rape, he sent to his personal Fry Lords to skin, cook and serve to his minions for a celebration feast in honor of a mission well completed…"

_"The horror that he brings  
The horror of his sting  
The unholiest of kings  
The Black Widow"  
_In the dining hall on Judgementia six long tables sat thousands of soldiers, all in red and anxiously awaiting to be addressed by their Tallest. Sitting at the head of the longest table atop a raised pulpit, Kalb raised his goblet high, his imperial white robes shimmering beneath the spotlight. His elliptical red eyes locked onto his minions through his white mask. "To the empire!" He toasted.

"For the glory of irk and all her past triumphs and those surely to come!" They saluted their tallest and took a drink.

_"Our minds will be his toy  
And every girl and boy will learn to be employed by  
The Black Widow"  
_A thin malevolent grin formed on the Widower's pale green face. He watched with a sick sense of amusement as his loyal subjects joyously shoveled fork full after fork full of smeet meat into their inferior mouths. By they time anyone would find out that they had devoured their beloved young, it would be too late and ultimately futile to protest.

_"Love me  
Yes we love me  
Love him  
Yes we love him  
Love me  
Yes we love him"  
_Even now during his celebration feast, Kalb was growing a new army of test tube smeets in the underground birthing facilities. Their arrival into this world would mark the true beginning of his reign. These new soldiers would be attached to a pak the moment at birth, rendering them completely subservient to his will. The paks still needed to be perfected - better equipped with better weapons, more data and highly efficient nutritional processing. Even with the technology applied in its early stages, the pak formed a superior soldier to that of any Irken born before it.

_"He sits upon his throne and picks at all the bones of his  
Husbands and his  
Wives he's devoured  
He stares with a gleam  
With a laugh so obscene at the virgins and the children  
He's deflowered"  
_Kalb's soldiers would be healthier, smarter, live longer, but would still be short and therefore inferior to him. Their skin would be his shade of green and their eyes his shade of red and their opinions completely in sync with his own. No Irken alive after that day would argue with him, no one would oppose him and all would go so far as die just to see that his demands were met…

All but one Irken. One Irken remained that could potentially compromise his authority over the Irken Empire. "I better check up on it." he thought while taking one last sip of his wine.

_"Love me  
Yes we love me  
Love him  
Yes we love him  
Love me  
Yes we love him  
Love me  
Yes we love him"  
_"Is something the matter, my tallest?" The newly appointed High General Toog inquired.

Kalb smiled at the tall (but still quite shorter than him) general. "Nothing, soldier. Enjoy your meal."

He looked to his left where his top scientist for his "private" research, Doctor Wia sat. "On your feet, Wia."

Her curled antenna perked. "Yes my Tallest."

She and Tallest Kalb stood (technically, Kalb hovered. Of course he snagged the best pak model for himself). "Attention soldiers!" He addressed them clearly, his confident voice echoing off the towering walls. "As much as it pains me to walk out on such a momentous event, I have very important matters to attend to. Continue with the feast and enjoy yourselves! Your loyalty and commitment to our empire has earned you that privilege."

_"Our thoughts are hot and crazed  
Our brains are webbed in haze  
Of mindless senseless daze  
The Black Widow"  
_He saluted his army and turned for the exit with Wia marching behind him.

She stood aside while Kalb entered the elevator then entered after him. Tallest Torhna had the decency to hold an elevator for a lady, she sneered mentally, but immediately scolded herself for it. It was that old world biased thinking that stunted the progress of the Irken race. "Where to, My tallest?"

"Where do you think?" he barked. "Take me to the Mighty Nova", the official flag ship of Kalb's armada. "We must return to my headquarters. Colossus has been left alone for too long."

"As you wish, my Tallest. Elevator, take us to the docking bay." Wia ordered the computer. It complied.

Kalb placed a now two fingered hand on Wia's shoulder. "You have done fine work for me, doctor." he commended her. "Your research with control brain and pak intelligence is shaping my vision for the empire far better than I had originally imagined."

Wia's soft purple eyes looked to the floor. She tried to hide the fact that she was blushing. She knew displays of emotion infuriated Kalb. "I'm happy to hear that, My Tallest. Hopefully my efforts will prove fruitful for you."

"Most certainly." he assured her. "And I know your new assignment is quite a dull change of pace for you-"

"Not at all, Sir."

"Don't interrupt me!" Kalb snapped, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

Wia shivered. "My apologies, my Tallest."

"Apology accepted." His expression softened. "Your new assignment pales in comparison to spawning brains and engineering paks, but the Colossus must be monitored."

"I understand. His body and strength is growing exponentially."

Kalb slapped her across the face. His steel wrist plates made a heavy _**clang **_as it collided with her cheekbone. "Never EVER refer to the Colossus as a 'he'!" He roared. "The Colossus is an 'it'!"

_"These words he speaks are true  
We're all humanary stew  
If we don't pledge allegiance to  
The Black Widow"  
_Wia struggled to her feet. She felt her bruised cheek, staring at the gigantic, leering Irken in shock. "Yes, my Tallest. I'll remember. The Colossus is an it."

a/n: "The Black Widow" is by Alice Cooper. I believe the song fits tallest Kalb's character as well as what's going on in the story. To explain why I dressed Tallest Kalb, who is obviously the villain in this story .com/art/The-Widower-80745098, in mostly white robes as opposed to a more sinister color like black, I believe white represents evil and death on irk and is therefore considered taboo and reserved for funerals, tragedies and whatnot, like how black represents death or evil on earth. I'm basing this theory on the fact that no Irken on Invader Zim is ever shown wearing white, nor are any of their vehicles buildings or weapons white. "The Colossus" will be introduced next chapter. From this point on, Zim and Scoodge are out of the picture for the most part and the story of the Legend of Colossus will unfold until Scoodge reaches the end of the tale.

It will get more interesting, I promise.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Desperate Escape  
"What are you waiting for? Keep reading! I want to hear what happens next!" Zim urged, poking Scoodge in the side.  
Scoodge pushed him. "We better head back to the Conference Hall. We can't afford to be late."  
"We have plenty of time!" Zim insisted. "Read!"  
Scoodge exhaled a deep sigh of defeat before continuing.  
"How can light so blinding white give off no heat?" Colossus pondered. That is until hypothermia began to settle in. Were a second ago he was freezing, he now felt uncomfortably hot.  
Earlier that day, Kalb ordered Colossus to be exposed to freezing temperatures. Wia had programmed the computer to drop his cell temperature twelve degrees every hour. It had been well over nine hours. Not that Colossus could tell time. His observation cell had no clock nor furniture nor ventilation. In that tiny cell, he remained suspended from the wall by his wrists and ankles, sentenced to solitary confinement for the rest of his natural life.  
Why? Kalb never gave him a reason. He simply attached a pak to Colossus's chest and wiped his memory clean. For all Colossus knew, he had been born in that cell. Colossus had no name, no age, no place of birth, no academic or military records, nothing. The pak had even deleted his ability to read and speak. But still, he shivered.  
Tiny bumps formed on his sun deprived pale green skin. His lips, knees, knuckles and eyelids bled, cracked open from the dry freezing air. Frost formed on his antennae, which he dared not twitch lest they broke off. He could see nothing but that damned light blazing into his ever weakening green eyes. He begged inwardly for some kind-hearted soul to make this stop. But no relief came.  
_"What are you? I say to me." _  
Colossus heard a series of low mechanical hisses. It sounded as though the temperature had dropped another twelve degrees. "This is it." Colossus thought, hoping. "This will be what finally kills me." A pitiful smile formed on his face. "What finally ends my pain!"  
"What are you smiling at?" He heard a voice he dreaded so intensely sneer.  
The lights dimmed. A door at the far end of the room opened, allowing heat and unfortunately Tallest Kalb to enter.  
_"A privilege machine man in the valley of the ice house.  
Yeah? Joke so old that it is new." _  
Colossus trembled in his manacles as Tallest Kalb hovered closer and closer (though his trembling could have easily been mistaken for shivering). Frightened, he looked past Kalb towards the one way mirror, behind which the head scientist, Wia stood. Most of the time, the lights were too bright for Colossus to see through to the other side, but he knew Wia was always watching, ready to report his every last stimuli to Tallest Kalb.  
_"Cause the innocent they know their place.  
In this slug motion dinosaur. Skin beating heart breathing."_  
Sometimes, when the light was just right he could see his reflection in the glass. It was only then he realized his features resembled Wia's and Kalb's. Had it not been for those few glimpses of his reflection, Colossus would have never known he was Irken. Kalb did not treat him as such after all.  
"Look your tallest in the eyes when he arrives, you wretch!"  
Colossus forced his head upright, despite the aches in his long neck. Kalb looked him over, frowning. How he hated the Colossus so! He hated its green eyes that held the faintest hue of blue. He hated its skin and the painful stretch marks that blemished it. He hated its respiratory patterns, its lanky limbs and fingers and its long, black antennae and how they drooped in his presence. Colossus did not deserve its stature and did not deserve to live in his empire as his servant. So he simply did not allow it to do so.  
_"Eyes humming. Walls splashing.  
Blue blood spits from the Butcherboy."_  
"Are you sure you are still the tallest?" Wia asked cautiously. "H- it looks taller than when I had last observed it."  
Kalb rubbed his chin in thought. No, it couldn't have gone through another growth spurt so soon! Just as a precaution, Kalb moved to the side and said "Computer, measure the Colossus."  
"_**Scanning**_" The computer replied.  
Colossus flinched as a thin red laser slowly traced the surface of his body.  
"_**Test subject, Colossus, is 5 feet 8 inches**_." The computer announced.  
_"Just split the head and stand back._  
_Out of the chaos comes a reason whipcord yea!!"_  
Kalb's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! It's merely a thug- an adolescent of 45! Not even old enough to attend a military academy! Measure it again!"  
Again, the computer scanned the Colossus and again stated the same results.  
Colossus did not notice the second scan. He was too shocked by the fact that he was an adolescent.  
Kalb shook his head in disbelief. "It is a mutant!"  
"A very durable mutant. I began this test with a room temperature of exactly 65.89 degrees above zero irkengrade. It is now 41.07 degrees below zero irkengrade. Any other Irken would have died an hour and a half ago." Wia informed her tallest.  
Kalb forced himself to calm down. He still had an inch and quarter on the Colossus to spare. His rank was not compromised just yet. "You are quite the wonder, Colossus. And invulnerable to the cold, I've noticed."  
_"Hell on Earth a semi-trane. Expression of pre-occupation skin beating.  
Heart breathing. Eyes splashing. Walls humming."_  
A sinking feeling settled in his speedly spooch as Tallest Kalb flashed him spiteful grin. "Let's see how well you stand against heat, shall we?" Kalb chuckled and turned for the exit. When the door sealed shut behind him, the light brightened, blinding Colossus once again.  
_"Soul Crushing. Soul Crushing."  
_Kalb looked to Wia, frowning. "Program the thermostat to raise twelve degrees every hour."  
"Right away my Tallest." Wia turned to type in the command.  
"And Wia…"  
"Y-yes my Tallest?"  
Kalb's expression hardened. "Only I may measure the Colossus from now on." "Yes, my Tallest. Will do."  
"I will return tomorrow for your report."  
"Everything will be in order."  
"See that it is." With that, Tallest Kalb left.  
Wia's antennae drooped as she exhaled a relieved sigh. "You mustn't allow yourself to feel compassion for it." She scolded herself aloud. "One more careless outburst like that, and the Widower will rip your spooch out through your throat."  
She peered through the one way mirror, studying Colossus carefully. She couldn't help but marvel at his beauty and strength (yes his! No matter what Kalb says, Colossus is and will always be a he!).  
In the twelve months Tallest Kalb had placed her in charge of the Colossus, she had exposed him to the most horrible forms of torture imaginable. Lacerations, projectiles, acid dips, hot iron presses, heavy gravity, hallucination inducing serums, itching serums, tranquilizers, deafeningly loud noises, crippling silence, electric shock, starvation, rancid smells, viruses, stretching, compression, motion sickness, vomit inducers, parasites, everything just short of Pak removal, she put him through and still the Colossus lived, breathed and grew! Oh how he grew and grew! He was amazing, an inspiration to her.  
It occurred to her that moment that she had never talked to the Colossus. Every so often she had ordered him to open his eyes or keep still or stop squirming, but she had never held a full length conversation with him. Did he know her name? Did he know where he was or even what planet he was located on?  
True, Kalb wiped his brain clean of the Irken language he spoke during Tallest Torhna's reign, but perhaps he had listened to her and Kalb talk enough to retain some knowledge of speech again.  
She stared at him while he hung from the wall like a used dish rag, naked and shivering. His chest heaved as he struggled to breath with his weight being pulled to the floor, suffocating his speedly spooch. She studied his heartbeat on the monitor. It was slow, but heavy and made large jagged V shapes on the screen rhythmically. She then checked the thermometer. It had yet to reach a survivable temperature.  
Curiosity finally got the better of her, a disadvantage to having a scientific mind. Hand shaking, she adjusted the thermostat to 40 degrees, despite what Kalb might do to her if she tampered with the experiment. She paused a moment to adjust her uniform and primp her antennae and dimmed the lights.  
Colossus jumped as the door opened once again. To his shock, Wia entered his cell. She approached him slowly, carrying no weapons or medical instruments that he could see.  
"Shhh…" She begged in a soft tone he had never heard come out of her mouth before. "I'm not going to hurt you."  
Colossus flinched as she pressed her gloved fingertips against his stomach ever so gently. He giggled. That tickled.  
Wia smiled up at him. "You felt that?"  
"He nodded yes."  
"I'm Wia. You Knew that didn't you?"  
Again, Colossus nodded yes.  
She beamed with excitement. "I'm done experimenting with you for now. At least, I'm done with the cold and heat experiment. Would you like to get down from there?"  
Colossus looked at his raw, bleeding wrists. He nodded yes, eyes sad, pleading.  
"Very well. Brace yourself." She extracted a small device from her pak, punched in a few keys then shined a tiny laser in her right eye. Suddenly his manacles unhinged themselves and released his limbs.  
Colossus cried out as he was dropped to the floor on his knees. Wia jumped back a few steps, clinging her pounding chest. His voice was so deep, almost unworldly.  
Panting heavily, Colossus pulled himself upright, only to stumble and slide down the wall, landing in a sitting position. Wia struggled to sit him upright. "It's all right. You don't have to stand. I know it hurts. I know."  
Colossus doubted that. He doubted that very much.  
Wia's lip quivered. A tear rolled down her cheek for the Colossus. She had never touched him before or smelled him or heard his breath and heart beat, only observed him from behind glass. For so long, Kalb had convinced her the Colossus was not Irken, that he was nothing more than a lab rodent, an unthinking, unfeeling hunk of flesh meant to be poked and probed. But now she had touched him for herself and she knew he was Irken and felt guilty for torturing him all this time.  
She embraced Colossus in a hug, resting her head in his massive chest. She brushed her fingers against his pak. It was not one of her models- a simple plane black prototype of Kalb's design. "How long has he kept you here?"  
Colossus stared at her, antennae twitching in confusion. Even if he knew, he could not answer.  
Wia stoked his cheek tenderly. "I'll get you out of here, somehow. I know this stronghold inside and out. I can short out the security system just long enough to get you outside to safety."  
"_Oustide? Safety? Did such things exist?_"  
"Trust me." Wia leaned forward, forming a strange circle shape with her lips.  
Colossus froze in terror as his pain mistress pressed her lips against his and slipped her tongue in. He felt it wrapping around his tongue slowly. He resisted the urge to vomit and instead followed an instinctive reflex to bite down.  
Wia's eyes busted open. She pulled away from him, screaming in agony as thick purple blood flowed out of her mouth. Colossus spit her dismembered tongue to the side and wiped away her blood and saliva on his forearm.  
Wia reached out to him desperately, still screaming. Startled, Colossus swung at her as hard as he could. She slammed against the wall face first then collapsed to the floor. Colossus slumped into the corner, taking a fetal position. He watched her carefully, expecting her get up and lunge at him again, but she didn't. She didn't move a muscle.  
Slowly, cautiously, Colossus crawled over to Wia's motionless body and nudged her shoulder. She was not breathing. He picked her up and shook her. Her limbs flailed haphazardly like a xoodle doll being swung by a Vortian kid. Her eyes had dimmed, her antennae became limp and straight and her jaw became slack. She did not respond. It was then Colossus realized she was dead.  
With a terrified cry, he slung her corpse as far across as his cell as he could. She collided with the one way mirror and slid down the glass, leaving a smear of blood. Colossus began to weep uncontrollably and he lunged for the exit.  
He pounded against the thick steel door, making heavy clanging noises. His massive fist left deep, plate-sized dents. He punched harder and harder, desperate to get away from Wia's corpse. After several minutes, he gave up and instead attempted to pry open the door.  
Grunting, he wedged his fingers through the cracks and pulled the door apart. Sparks flew as the gears and circuits were ripped in two. Alarms sounded overhead. Colossus ignored them. He was more afraid of Wia's corpse than them. He managed to form an opening just big enough to force his head and shoulders through.  
He pushed and pushed until his entire body was free and then ran. He had no idea where the winding hallways would lead to or what kind of obstacles he would have to dodge. He only knew he had to run. He had to reach this "outside" this "safety" or die trying.

"Drowning the Colossus" Is by White Zombie (and no, I didn't just choose that song for this chapter because it has the word 'colossus' in the title. I genuinely thought the lyrics, tempo and melody fit the situation) Invader Zim is Jhonen Vasquez's creation (Jhonen forgive me for what I'm doing to your brilliant cartoon) please read and review PWEEEEAAAZE?!

It will get more interesting, I promise!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Charge!

Colossus gasped for breath, forcing himself to run faster. He turned the corners swiftly, venturing deeper and deeper into Kalb's fortress without any real sense of direction. The hallways went black aside from a few rotating red warning lights. Alarms blasted overhead, stinging his antennae.

Colossus blocked out his surroundings. He began to develop tunnel vision as his desperation to escape grew more intense with each stride.

"_I've been a prisoner  
Trapped in by fear  
Ordered for the rest of my life  
Condemned in a jail cell  
Ain't seen life in years  
Escape is the only way out" _

Suddenly a burning pain shot through his shoulder. He stopped dead in his tracks and inserted his finger through the fresh wound. Someone had fired at him.

His full vision returned and he spotted Kalb's royal guards charging at him, armed with laser axes. Frightened, Colossus froze.

The guards cowed at the sight of Colossus, red eyes shining with fright through their metal masks.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Fire!" The commanding voice of High General Toog ordered from the back of the horde.

The front line aimed their axes as commanded. Fortunately for Colossus the first soldier to fumbled and the laser bounced off his chest pak. To their horror, Colossus did not drop upon impact. The second laser missed his torso, but hit his arm. Colossus cried out in pain. He ducked behind a corner, dodging the next line of fire.

"Get after him!"

"_Restart my life  
Or self destruction  
To climb this wall  
Of dark construction  
Holding the quest for freedom  
That beckons me"_

_  
_Colossus tripped the first soldier to turn the corner. He disarmed the guard and crushed his skull in with his own shield. Now armed, Colossus attempted to push through the horde, reflecting the oncoming lasers with his gore covered shield and impaling any Irken who tried to stand in his way.

"_My sanity is all but gone  
My patience is growing very weak  
I need to get a hold of myself  
I stare at the wall  
For the right time has come  
Escape must occur on this night"_

_  
_General Toog watched in horror as this one naked beast slaughtered ten of his finest soldiers.

Colossus pried an ax from a slain soldier's carcass and ran for his life down the one hallway Toog was sworn to protect, the control brain's chambers. He had thought for sure the original fifteen could take down the intruder. Obviously, this Irken was more than bargained for. Thinking quickly, Toog summoned reinforcements.

The royal guards popped out of the elevators and swarmed the hallways. Colossus looked around. He was surrounded. He clutched the handle of his ax, trembling as the small Irken guards closed in on him, blades aimed directly for his squeedly spooch.

"_Stand in my way  
And I'll run you straight through  
There's no one to stop me now  
For I'm on the loose  
And I'm ready to start  
Torture and hell an this town"_

_  
_Toog marched to the front of the line. He raised a gloved hand in the air. "Fire on my mark…" Toog paused to gaze into Colossus's green eyes. Who was he? Where did he come from? How did he infiltrate Talest Kalb's fortress? Toog gazed deeper into the intruder's eyes. There was something primal and sublime about them. They did not show the vindictive spark of a traitor or an enemy spy. No, this Irken was merely reacting on an instinct to survive, a respectable quality, but not one that would do him much good in the end. He lowered his arm. "Fire!"

_"OVER THE WALL!"_

_  
_At the click of the triggers, Colossus leapt into the air, grabbed a hold of one of the rotating siren lights and with all his strength, pulled his body as close to the ceiling. The guards missed Colossus entirely, shooting each other instead. Six soldiers fell dead in a circle.

Colossus dropped to the ground, landing on one of the guards, crushing him under his weight. Colossus snatched his ax and shield from his now limp grip took off.

Toog kicked a corpse in frustration. "You shit-brained cockeyed excuse for Irkens!" He cursed his soldiers. "Charge!"

Colossus turned another corner, but he could only run so fast with one arm holding a shield over his back. Was heading towards the surface or merely venturing deeper underground? He could not ponder that now, not with Toog's forces on his trail.

A laser zoomed past his head, missing him by an eighth of an inch and bounced off the wall. His incredibly long stride would only get him so far, this Colossus knew for certain. The guards were gaining on him.

Another laser just barely missed him. Colossus tossed his shield like a discuss. By the pained grunts that echoed from the other end of the corridor, Colossus knew he had knocked out two or three guards, unfortunately, there were at least twenty more to take their place.

_"The search will not stop  
And hounds will not rest  
Till I am back in my cell  
For if I am caught, I'll try it again  
Over the wall I will go, I will go"_

"DON'T LET HIM REACH THE BRAIN CHAIMBER!" He heard a guard cry.

Toog motioned for his soldiers to halt. "No, let him go. That hulk will never make it through the hall of spikes in one piece."

"And if he does? What will we do then? We cannot enter the chamber either."

Toog scowled at his inferior for his lack of faith, but his expression quickly softened. "Then we will shall go to Tallest Kalb and request access. Follow me, men."

Colossus no longer heard the rhythm of marching feet or the firing lasers. For a moment he thought he was safe. He was wrong.

_**"Please halt for a mandatory Pak Scan…"**_ A digitized voice announced overhead as Colossus swerved around yet another corner. Colossus ignored the computer and continued to race down the hallway.

More alarms began to sound. _**"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intr-"**_

Suddenly the hallway became narrower. Colossus felt the floor shift. He stumbled backwards as a razor sharp spike shot up from the floor. He leapt over it, only to be nearly impaled by a second spike. They began to spring up from the floor at random. It was only dumb luck Colossus was able to maneuver around them, receiving only a few nicks on his legs and feet.

He skidded to a halt as he came face to face with another spike. They began to drop down from the ceiling as well as the floor. Colossus ducked his head as low as he could. He studied the booby trap carefully. Perhaps the spikes did not shoot out as randomly as he thought. If he timed his steps carefully, he could squirm through them.

Colossus danced around the spikes, synchronizing his feet to the appearance and disappearance of the deadly blades. He spotted an opening at the end of the hallway. Eyes now bright with hope and spirit confident in his timing, Colossus quickened his pace.

Another shift in the floor made him stumble. He caught his balance just before falling face first on a spike. The spikes no longer retracted back into the floor and ceiling, but the ceiling itself began to drop slowly.

Colossus had only one hope of making it to the door. He sprung forward with all his strength.

He tucked under and rolled, landing with a heavy thud. He sat upright, holding his pounding head. Colossus felt his legs just to make sure they were still attached. He sighed with relief. He made it! He had not been crushed in the hall of spikes! Relieved, he pulled himself to his feet and began to feel through the darkness. His hands pressed against a ceiled door. The hall of spikes had closed shut completely.

_"What is it, Wyvi?"_ Colossus heard a strange mechanical, almost smeet-like voice whisper.

The details of the room were shrouded in shadow, but the glow of purple Irken eyes pierced through the blackness. Colossus pulled himself to his feet and strained to make out the details of the Irkens in the room, but he could not. He could only see eyes- not pairs of eyes, but random eyes of all sizes; some perfectly round, some elliptical grouped together in an impossible clump. They did not shift in the shadows, just focused intently on him.

_"It is the Colossus, Subli."_ A second, clearly female voice, answered. Colossus looked to the side and saw a second clump of bright green eyes. _"It has wandered out of its cell. Father will not be pleased."_

Colossus backed away from the eyes. He felt his back hit something squishy and wrinkly. He spun around quickly, tripping over his own feet. He looked up and found himself face to face with a clump of red eyes. He cowered before them for he knew he was not in the presence of Irkens, but another species he had never encountered- a giant speaking mass of fleshy matter and eyes.

"_Why does it squirm on the floor so?" _The red eyed one seemed to be speaking to Colossus directly.

_"It is frightened. As it should be." _Replied the green eyed one.

"_Indeed it should, Tah_." The purple eyed one concurred. _"Father never intended for it to leave its cell. Father will punish it severely."_

Colossus crawled away until he bumped against a solid wall. He pulled his knees to his chest and tried to calm down. From what he could tell by the scarce light in the chamber, these strange beings were immobile, suspended from the wall by giant pak-like devices, and in theory, could not harm him. But they were all seeing and they knew him well.

"W-w-who…is…father?" He spoke slowly, struggling to form the words coherently.

_"It __**can**__ speak!" _The purple eyed one said, surprised.

"_Father is the caretaker of irk." _Answered the green eyed one_. "Father dictates how Irk shall function. Without father, Irk would fall into chaos and anarchy. He created us to contain knowledge and to help keep order. We are irk and Irk owes everything to father."_

"Kalb!" Colossus spat his name venomously.

_"Yes, to the bipedal ones, father is called Tallest Kalb."_ Confirmed the red eyed one.

"W-w-what… a-a-ah…are you…?"

_"Upon our birth onto Irk, Father bestowed to me the name Subli" _The red eyed one introduced himself.

_"Father bestowed to me the name Wivy." _Added the purple eyed one.

_"And father bestowed to me the name Tah." _Concluded the green eyed one. _"We are control brains, guardians of all knowledge. But absorbing such a vast amount of information has rendered us immobile and so father keeps us here away from harm."_

_"It is a lonely existence." _Sighed Wivy. "_But we have each other for company and we have father for sustenance."_

_"Should a day arrive when information is no longer fed to us, we will shrivel and die." _Explained Subli.

_"We know of death" _Began Tah.

_"We know of fear." _Added Wivy.

_"And we fear death." _Finished Subli.

"Do…y-yow…k-k-know wa-where the…outside is?"

The control brains paused. _"Does it mean the exit to father's palace?" _Tah asked. _She giggled. "Of course we do. We know what everything is, what it looks like, what it is made of and __**where **__it is located."_

_"But we cannot give it set information." _Subli added regretfully. _"If father ever found out we gave it directions on how to escape, father would never forgive us."_

_"Father would deactivate our paks, and we would no longer absorb information and die." _Wivy whimpered. _"We know of its pain, but despite this, we cannot disobey father." _

_Subli's eyes moistened. _"_We also know of sorrow and we are truly sorry."_

Colossus pulled his knees to his chest and sobbed helplessly. He felt as though the walls were closing in on him and he began to hyperventilate.

_"It is crying, Subly." Wyvi exclaimed. "When a life form begins to cry, it must be comforted or be deprived of consciousness or it will not stop." _

_"I wish to comfort it. Is there any way to be of comfort for it, Tah?"_ Subli asked.

_"I cannot think of one. Therefore, no way exists." _She answered.

_"I was afraid of that…Poor bipedal Irken life form…"_

"What is the meaning of this?" Tallest Kalb shouted from his throne. "Where is Dr. Wia?"

"Dead, my Tallest. Dr. Wia was found dead in her lab, mutilated…." A royal guard set her corpse before Kalb's feet.

Kalb gagged and turned away, unable to look at the mangled mess that was his leading scientist any longer. "Take her away before she stains the floor." he ordered.

The guard saluted then did as ordered.

General Toog approached his tallest cautiously, reluctant to bear such bad news to the Widower. "M-my Tallest, there is more. An intruder of mammoth proportions has penetrated the walls of your almighty fortress and has stowed away in the forbidden Control Brain chamber. We believe this intruder is responsible for her death. My men and I tried to restrain him, but he overpowered us." Toog swallowed a lump in his throat. "He killed seventeen of your royal guards as well. This intruder is very clever and very dangerous. It will take more than brute force to subdue him. Do my men and I have your permission to deactivate the hall of spikes and enter the cha-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Tallest Kalb slammed his two fingered fist against the arm of his throne. "No one is to step foot in that room, but I! The sanctity of the chamber shall not be violated because of your incompetence! Tell me general, how did a single naked **insect** escape forty highly trained elite body guards? HOW?"

Toog raised a brow at Kalb. "My Tallest, how did you know he was-?"

"_It_, General." Tallest Kalb corrected him. "This intruder is an _it_- a monster and you will bring it to me, or place your resignation in my file by sundown, is that clear, General?"

"Yes, my Tallest, perfectly clear."

"I will not tolerate this outrage lying down." Kalb vowed. "There is only one exit from the Control Brain Chamber. Go to my personal observatory. You shall set a trap for it there."

Toog's stringent stance wavered just a bit. "Me? Alone?"

"Are you frightened, general?"

Toog stuck out his chest. "No, my Tallest. Shall I bring _it _to you dead or alive?"

"Alive." Kalb insisted. "I will kill it myself." _Like I should have done years ago…"_

Toog saluted. "Very well, My Tallest." He turned to face the guards. "At ease, soldiers. Return to your posts. I shall subdue the intruder myself." With that, he snatched an ax from one of his underlings and took off.

Kalb coughed loudly as his royal guards began to disperse. They turned around slowly and reluctantly looked up at him.

Kalb stood, wearing a twisted smirk. "Computer, security measure 62190- Beta. Ceil the throne room."

_**"Yes, My Tallest!" **_The computer complied. The guards huddled in the center of the room, startled as all the windows and exits bolted shut.

"W-what is going on, My Tallest?" A short soldier mustered the courage to ask. "If you locked us in for our own protection, I assure you, it's unnecessary."

Kalb cackled heartily. "That's a good one, soldier. I needed a laugh."

The guards exchanged worried glances.

"A soldier's incompetence reflects upon his commander and so a commander's incompetence reflects upon his soldiers. Your tallest does not condone failure." Kalb sat in his throne and traced his finger across his forehead. His mask instantly concealed his mouth and eyes.

A strange hiss emanated through the vents on the ceiling. The royal guards' antennae twitched as a fowl odor filled the room. The air became thick and orange and within seconds, the soldiers collapsed to their knees, hacking up blood. When the last soldier fell dead, Tallest Kalb ordered the computer to open the windows. The air cleared and he removed his mask.

"Janitorial service drone Offa!" Kalb barked into the intercom. "Report to the throne room and sweep up this mess!"

a/n: Is anybody reading this? ~whimpers pathetically~ Oh well. XD

"Over the Wall" is by Testament. This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I decided to leave the second half of this for chapter 6


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Evasive Maneuver

The urge to weep finally ebbed. Colossus exhaled a sad, heavy sigh and uncoiled from his fetal position. He felt something soft and smooth against the back of his head as he leaned against the wall. His crippling despair turned to curiosity. Could it be? Yes- fabric- a curtain. Colossus stood. With a quick tug he ripped the curtain down revealing a large door intricately decorated in burgundy glass hand crafted by Irken artisans from a generation long since dead.

The chamber became slightly less dim. The control brains groaned as their eyes struggled to adjust. "That room is restricted." Tah warned.

Colossus ignored her and reached for the handle. To his relief, the door was unlocked and slid open with ease. Cautiously he stepped out onto a balcony. A cool sensation he had never felt before (since he had been held captive by Kalb anyways) brushed over his bare skin. He struggled to search for the word…Wind…

He inhaled the fresh (or as fresh as it gets on Irk) air. His eyes danced to a fro with wonder. Towering steel structures, marvels of Irken architecture covered the landscape for miles on end. The busy traffic of ships flew gracefully in the airspace above and in between the surrounding buildings. Above tiny dots of light twinkled against the deep purple night sky. Among them hovered two milky white masses, one perfectly round, the other a thin crescent. Below thousands of Irken commoners walked the streets busily going about their business.

Colossus aimlessly stepped forward unable to blink or find one particular sight to focus on. Everything was so open, so vast, so amazing. A telescope installed at the edge of the balcony caught his interest. He raced towards it, eager to take a closer look at his new beautiful surroundings. He cried out in pain as he slammed right into a sundial placed in the center of the platform. "Have to watch where I'm going." He scolded himself inwardly, rubbing the bruise forming on his stomach.

He inspected the sundial, tracing his fingers over the Irken numerals and the inscription engraved on its surface. He knew the tiny symbols represented increments of speech, but he could not decipher their meaning. He tapped the needle. A holo-projection map of the galaxy popped up.

Colossus studied the placement of the celestial objects closely. Words formed in his mind that he had long forgotten; words like suns, moons, stars, asteroids, black holes…

He recognized them all, but could not remember their exact names; though something in his squeedly-spootch told him he had once been very familiar with the galaxy's geography.

Something sharp pricked his lower back and ripped him from his concentration.

"Halt!" Toog ordered, pointing his axe directly at Colossus. "This insanity ends NOW, intruder! Put your hands in the air."

Colossus's posture stiffened. He did as instructed and slowly turned to face the general.

Toog glowered up at Colossus, his cold, yellowish-green eyes glimmering in the moonlight. The edges of his mouth arched downward in a hateful scowl. "The Tallest certainly called it." he thought aloud. "Here you are, snooping, tampering…" He trailed off a moment, but tightened his grip on the axe handle. "I'm very impressed. You fought well against the guards, but you are in no condition to fight **me**, so don't even try to protest."

Colossus winced. The adrenalin that had driven him to fight his way past the royal guards was beginning to wear off. Pain settled in its place. Toog grinned as fresh blood started to trickle from the laser wounds on Colossus's chest, shoulders and arms.

"Who are you? Why did you break into the fortress?"

Colossus did not answer.

"Are you part of the rebellion? Is that why you stripped naked? Is it a metaphor of some kind?" Took hoisted the blade forward. "Talk!"

Colossus flinched. He opened his mouth to speak, but his scarcely used tongue knotted in his mouth.

"No matter." Toog dismissed him. "The elite prosecutors will get you to talk. You're under arrest, naked rebel. Come quietly and I won't have to hurt you."

Colossus did not budge. Toog gritted his teeth. "That was an order! You dare disobey a high general? Get moving! And don't try anything funny."

Colossus backed away, hands still raised. Toog followed his every step, eyes locked on the strange intruder. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "That's it; towards the ledge. Now, on your knees."

Colossus slowly dropped, too slowly for Toog's liking. He jabbed Colossus with his axe, emitting a painful electric jolt that immediately knocked him to the floor.

"That's it.." Toog snickered. "Now, place your hands on the railing…Do it!"

Scowling, Colossus begrudgingly gripped the railing.

Toog slapped the almost too small cuffs over his wrists and securely fastened him to the railing. He exhaled a sigh of relief. Toog dared not show it, but he had been incredibly nervous about apprehending the intruder. Even armed, Toog doubted his ability to take down Colossus on his own, but all had gone smoothly. He had him restrained and ready to haul him off to Kalb.

"You were wise to submit peaceably. Maybe the Tallest will be merciful towards you…but I seriously doubt it." He finally lowered his axe and pulled the communication device from his pak. "High-General Toog reporting, my Tallest" He announced into the device.

"Tallest Kalb here. I read you, general."

"The intruder is alive and in custody. I'm prepared to bring h- it to you."

"Excellent! I'll be waiting. Over and out."

Colossus's antennae drooped at the sound of Kalb's voice. He trembled. _No! I can't go back inside! I won't!_ Colossus pulled at his handcuffs as hard as he could like an abused zoo animal shackled to a stump.

"Quit squirming back there!" Toog turned towards him, ready to shock Colossus into submission once again, but before the axe had time to charge, Colossus managed to bust one hand free and with it, punched Toog right between the eyes.

The blow knocked Toog right off his feet and into the sundial. He landed, blacked out cold on the floor. Colossus kept pulling desperate to free his other hand.

Toog groaned as he sat upright, holding his head. He hissed as a searing pain shot through his skull. With blurred vision he spotted the Colossus struggling to break his restraints. "I'll have your pak for that, you bastard!" Legs wobbling, Toog struggled to reach his axe, but it was too late.

With one last powerful yank, Colossus broke his restraints. He grabbed Toog by the neck and lifted him high above the balcony floor. Choking, Toog gripped Colossus's arm and tried to squirm free, but it was no use. The huge Irken had his fingers locked around his throat like a steel vice.

_"All wound up  
On the edge  
Terrified"_

_  
_"Why…did…you…attack…me?" Colossus asked, his grip tightening with every slow utterance of each word.

His deep guttural voice made Toog's heart sink into his squeedly-spooch. "W-why? Why do you think?" He managed to gasp out, cheeks turning blue from lack of oxygen. "You entered the fortress without Tallest authorization! You **murdered** Dr. Wia then murdered seventeen of my commandos!" Toog's voice quivered with remorse. "Shust was practically a smeet, you defective son of Blorchen!"

_"Sleep disturbed  
Restless mind  
Petrified  
Bouts of fear  
Permeate  
All I see"_

_  
_Colossus's expression displayed a sense of remorse, but his grip did not loosen. "I…**did not**…intrude. Wia tried to kill _me_! I just…wanted to leave…I only wanted to be…be…" Colossus's face contorted in deep thought. "Free."

The general chuckled. "Don't we all."

_"Heightening  
Nervousness  
Threatens me"_

_  
_Colossus took the general's statement for sarcasm. Toog's antennae drooped with dread as he felt the intruder's chokehold loosen slightly.

_"I am paralyzed  
So afraid to die"_

_  
_The general looked down. Colossus held him over the edge of the frighteningly high balcony. A fall from that height would surely kill him. His green skin paled to a sickly cream yellow. "Please…Please, I beg you! Don't let me drop! I'll do anything, just set me down safely."

Going against his better judgment, Colossus tossed Toog into the glass door. Upon impact, Toog's body shattered the glass into a million shards that ripped his uniform and skin to shreds, but at least he had not plummeted to his dea-

"I don't get it…" Zim interrupted. "Why did general Toog plead for his life?"

Scoodge looked to his comrade curiously. "Hu?"

Zim shrugged. "If I were Toog, I would have let him drop me and just used my arachnoid pak extension limbs to land safely."

"This story does takes place before Tallest Miyuki's reign." Scoodge reminded him. "I guess the early pak models weren't equipped with arachnoid pak limbs."

"Pffft!" Zim snickered. "If you ask me, this whole story is reeeally far fetched."

"Well, I didn't ask you!"

Zim was taken aback by chubby friend's sudden display of assertiveness.

"You wanted me to read. That's what I'm doing, so quit interrupting." Scoodge spotted where he left off and cleared his throat before continuing.

_"Caught off guard  
Warning signs  
Never show"_

_  
_Colossus peered over the edge, scanning his surroundings for any way to climb down the fortress safely. There seemed to be none. He then watched the traffic of cruisers speeding by. If he could just jump onto one of them it would fly him away from the fortress and hopefully to somewhere safe. There was only one problem. Should he underestimate his horizontal leap and miss a cruiser, he was done for.

_"Tension strikes  
Choking me  
Worries grow"_

_  
_The hum of a small energy core close by made his antennae perk. He looked to the east. A delivery cruiser was flying awfully close the façade of Kalb's fortress. He crouched on the balcony railing, waiting for just the right moment to jump.

_"Why do I feel so numb  
Is it something to do with where I come from"_

_  
_On the other side of the balcony, Toog was crawling his way out of the debris. He brushed the smaller fragments of glass from his shoulders and wiped away the blood trickling from his brow and lips. He spotted Colossus teetering on the ledge. "Oh no you don't!" He hissed venomously.

"_Should this be fight or flight  
I don't know why I'm constantly so uptight"_

Toog chased after him. He reached out to grab him, but Colossus jumped out of reach. Toog peered over the balcony in search of him. He looked west and spotted a pizza delivery cruiser whizzing off in the distance with Colossus clinging to ship.

Her cursed violently as he pulled down the lip of his glove and punched in the access code to his hover voot on the guidance mechanism strapped to his forearm.

Seconds later a single pilot stealth craft pulled over to the side of the balcony. General Toog hopped on and sped off after Colossus.

_"Rapid heartbeat pounding through my chest  
Agitated body in distress"_

_  
_"Did you feel a bump, Gug?" The delivery drone asked, coughing.

"Hu? Na. Probably just some turbulence." Gug dismissed his co- delivery drone and inhaled the vapors deeply. He tapped his fingers against the consol rhythmically, eyelids lilting as textures softened and colors became evermore vibrant. He had found his happy high place. "Good weezaam, Xill." He commended him as he exhaled.

"_I feel like I'm in danger  
Daily life is strangled by my stress"_

_  
_Xill placed a glass cup over the smoking weezaam bulbs burning in a tin tray on the consol. The cherrying bulbs extinguished quickly and he waved the remaining vapors away.

Gug elbowed him in the ribs. "What are you doing? I'm only buzzed. Don't waste the shit, man."

Xill scowled at him, red eyes cloudy with weezaam. "Weez-fiend! Ya can't even see out the windshield anymore!" he looked out the side of the ship anxiously. "I think we just veered towards the Capital Fortress. This area is crawling with the Widower's royal guards. If they spot us swerving in mid air they might have us pull over and inspect-"

Gug dismissed his co-worker with a giggle. "Why do I huff with you, seriously? You get so paranoid. Relax…" The pink eyed delivery drone paused to steady the cruiser. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's fly _stoned_. You just ignore your eyes and let your fingers do the w-"

"This is high-general Toog speaking! Land your ship at once!"

_"A stifling surge  
Shooting through all my veins  
Extreme apprehension  
Suddenly I'm insane"_

_  
_Startled out of their weezaam-clouded wits, the delivery drones jumped high in their seats as an urgent voice of a superior Irken barked out their cruiser's audio transmitter.

Xill motioned for Gug to toss the remaining weezaam out the waste chute. Gug ditched the weezaam as quickly as he possibly could. "This is Stipeezie's Pizza delivery cruiser 96-2. Delivery drone Xill here accompanied by delivery drone Gug, we copy, general." Xill replied shakily as he and Gug sprayed their uniforms and their ship's interior with air freshener.

"I did not ask for identification! I ordered you to land!"

"Right away sir, but, w-what have we done?"

"Nothing. It's _that _guy I'm after! Now pull over and land, I said for the last zortching time!"

Xill and Gug exchanged confused looks. "What guy?" Gug asked aloud, scratching behind his left antenna.

_"Lost all hope for redemption  
A grave situation desperate at best"_

_  
_Xill shrugged. He glanced upward and spotted an incredibly tall (and more horrifying, naked) Irken clinging to the dome of the cruiser. Xill's weez paranoia kicked into full swing. The Irken behind the glass seemed to grow fangs and a flailing forked tongue and his eyes swirled with neon colors. Xill cowed before the creature, whimpering.

"What? What's wrong?" Gug's eyes followed Xill's trembling finger. "Sweet sun of Minor!"

Tripping nuts, the deliver drones began to crawl around the cockpit in a panic, crushing the pizza they had originally been sent to deliver and accidentally tread over the directional controls, spinning the cruiser off course.

_"Why do I feel so numb  
Is it something to do with where I come from  
Should this be fight or flight  
I don't know why I'm constantly reeling"_

_  
_Toog swerved his hovercraft aside, avoiding a crash with the delivery cruiser. "Watch where you're flying you idiots! You almost blindsided me! Pull over before I open fire!"

The general winced as the cruiser spun out of control in mid air- the result of a bad weezaam trip no doubt. "No time to bust these huffers. Have to apprehend Kalb's intruder…" He uttered a curse or two under his breath as he kicked the accelerator to full blast.

_"Helpless hysteria  
A false sense of urgency"_

_  
_Colossus hugged the cruiser so tightly every joint in his arms ached. He suppressed the urge to vomit as the cruiser zigzagged through the sky, whipping him every which way.

"Shake him, Xill! Gethimoffgethimoffgethimoff!" Gug hugged Xill closely as the drone tried his best to control the ship and toss the strange hitchhiker aside at the same time.

"I'm trying!" Xill cried as he typed away at the consol randomly. "Protect the pizza!"

"_Trapped in my phobia  
Possessed by anxiety"_

_  
_"This is general Toog again! I **command **you to quit messing with your controls and PULL OVER!"

The drones were far too freaked out to follow directions. Toog gave up and simply flew along side the delivery cruiser in pursuit.

Colossus glanced sideways. Toog was gaining on him, aiming his laser blasters in anticipation. Colossus shifted to the side, just barely missing the first blast. The laser left a black skid mark on the already dented delivery cruiser.

_"Run  
Try to hide  
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium"_

_  
_Colossus shuffled from side to side, trying cling to the cruiser and avoid getting shot at the same time- not an easy task by any means. He banged his fists against the windshield, begging the drones to steady the ship, but that seemed to startle them further and encouraged even more spastic piloting maneuvers.

Toog's patience had grown too thin. He whipped out his axe and increased speed until he was close enough to the delivery cruiser to make a jump for it.

_"Helpless hysteria  
A false sense of urgency"_

_  
_Toog landed right on his back and choked Colossus with the axe handle. Colossus shook violently in an attempt to throw Toog off, but the General refused to let go. Finally Colossus reached over his shoulder and ripped Toog off of him.

The two Irkens proceeded to brawl atop the delivery cruiser, both desperate to stay on and determined to throw the other hitchhiker off.

Colossus had Toog pinned. Toog kicked him hard in the jaw, forcing the large Irken off of him. Colossus stumbled backwards, nearly loosing his grip on the cruiser, but he managed to get a handle on one of the side pods and clung for dear life. Back on his bearings, Toog held his axe blade to the rogue Irken's throat. "Think you're clever, don't you? Well, you're not too clever now!"

_Trapped in my phobia  
Possessed by anxiety"_

_  
_Colossus tried to claw his way up, but Toog stepped on his hand, grinding the steel heel of his boots over his knuckles. "Kalb may want you alive, but he's just going to have to bite the plasma shell on this one. _I _want you dead, rebel and I will get satisfaction! No one makes a fool of Toog and lives!" Toog raised his axe high above his head, ready to plant the blade right between Colossus's eyes. He swung down hard and would have split Colossus's skull in two had the drones kept the ship steady instead of swerving to miss a snacking complex.

_"Run  
Try to hide"  
_Toog stumbled, arms flailing to help him keep balance. Colossus snatched the brunt end of the axe handle and knocked Toog's legs right out from under him.

Toog toppled off the side of the cruiser. He grasped Colossus's ankle for dear life. He tried his damnedest not to look down and instead climbed his way up using Colossus for leverage.

Colossus kicked and squirmed, but he couldn't shake the general lest he lose his grip on the cruiser and plummet to the steel ground below with him. Toog clawed his way up Colossus's back and started yanking on his antennae.

Colossus wailed in both pain and frustration. He jerked his head back hard, busting Toog's lips open, but still the general clung to him.

Snarling, Toog dug his fingers into Colossus's eyes.

"_Overwhelmed by this complex delirium"_

_  
_Colossus wailed. Toog laughed and pressed his fingers deeper. Colossus could not stand it any longer. His grip slipped and he and Toog dropped from Irk's sky like a sack of bolts.

Xill looked off to either sides of the ship. He let out a small sigh of relief. "We lost 'em, Gug…we lost 'em."

"Did you see that thing, man? Woo! That was some intense shit…" Gug, still trembling, forced his breathing to steady. "Let's drop these pizzas off already and get back to the restaurant before anything crazier happens today."

"No kidding…" Xill turned the cruiser around, ready to complete their delivery.

Meanwhile Toog and Colossus were falling to their dooms. Toog seemed too preoccupied with thrashing Colossus to even notice he was freefalling. The two Irkens kept fighting- punching, kicking and clawing at each other every last second before they hit the ground.

Kalb drummed his fingers against the arm of his throne impatiently. He watched as Offa hoisted the last corpse onto a cart and hauled the pile away. "What's taking him?" he griped. "General Toog should have dragged him back here by now…"

The janitorial drone shrugged in response.

Annoyed, Kalb gritted his teeth.

Suddenly the ominous cry of a medical siren struck his antennae. Kalb sat upright, shocked when two female paramedics escorted by a few (just recently hired) royal guards, marched through the door of his throne room, pushing the mangled body of General Toog on a hover stretcher.

The paramedics came to a halt and saluted their Tallest respectfully. "My Tallest, High-general Toog ordered us to bring him to you. He has suffered some severe injuries. His pak revived him and is now sustaining him, but it can only do so much.." The taller of the two announced.

Kalb shook his head in disbelief. "WHAT?"

"We found the general near-"

"No!" Toog slowly and shakily raised his hand in protest. "I'll explain…" Toog sat upright and hopped down from the stretcher. The medics and guards gasped, unable to believe Toog was able to speak much less stand. Toog limped before Kalb, clutching his shattered and nearly severed arm. The shorter paramedic rushed to his side and offered to let him lean against her, but he pushed her away. "The intruder got away." He informed his tallest regretfully. "I had it, but, it got away…"

Kalb flashed him a most hideous scowl. "That will be all, medics. You are dismissed."

"But, my Tallest, he's is in dire need of-"

"The general and I have important matters to discuss, so BE GONE WITH YOU!" Kalb shouted, voice echoing off the throne chamber walls.

"Yes, my Tallest." The paramedics respectfully saluted and turned for the exit.

Toog looked around, though it killed his neck to do so. He spotted several Irkens in guards uniforms he did not recognize. "My tallest…w-where did these soldiers come fr-"

"Unimportant, general!" Kalb interrupted. "Where is it?" He asked slowly, putting a great deal of emphasis on each syllable. "Where is the Colossus?"

"I- I don't know. I had it on the balcony, but it jumped…I chased after it, but…but…"

"That is twice you failed me, general! This is **intolerable**!"

Toog backed away, cringing. "It couldn't have gone far!" he assured Kalb. "We hit the ground together. I will go after it and-"

"Ha!" Kalb sat back in his throne and motioned for silence. "No general. I am an Irken of my word. Toog, you are hereby stripped of your title, your troops, your ships- everything! You have two weeks to turn over all your weapons and possessions to the empire. Then you will return to the capital fortress and stand before the Control Brains. They shall evaluate your failure and determine your fate. Now get out of my fortress and don't let me catch you in my sight until then."

Toog's eyes became as wide as saucers. Demoted? Him? It could not- MUST not be! "My Tallest, I-"

"Guards, remove this incompetent."

A guard placed his hand on Toog's shoulder. "Please, general, don't make this any harder than it has to be-"

"Shut up!" Toog jerked his shoulder free. He looked to Kalb, white hot tears of anger forming in the corners of his eyes. "Y-you can't do this! After all I've done for the empire, serving her, protecting her with all my strength and being, **this** is how you repay me?"

A tear dampened the toe of Toog's boot as he removed his armor, revealing the kamikaze mine embedded in his chest installed for the sake of sparing soldiers the indignity of dieing by enemy hands. He turned the red jewel that activated the device.

**count down to self destruct in ten…nine…**

Kalb rolled his eyes. "Must you be so dramatic? You have only yourself to blame for this. I would demote any Irken who could not carry out his duties to the empire according to _my _satisfaction."

Toog bowed his head, unable to stomach the sight of Kalb any longer. "Your empire is not worth serving."

**four…three…two…one…**

**ignition**

The mine detonated, blowing Toog's body to pieces. Kalb and his guards groaned, disgusted as their clothes became drenched with Toog's blood and organs. Kalb choked back a gag as he brushed a chunk of Toog's brain off his shoulder.

The guards rushed to the bloodied and charred imprint of where Toog had stood moments before. They saluted him, drooping their antennae in respect.

"Enough of that!" Kalb barked. He pointed to his janitorial drone. "Offa! Grab the mop!"

He stood. Growling in frustration, Kalb knocked over his throne and stormed for the exit. "I must consult the Control Brains!" He announced to his underlings. "Do not disturb me!"

Meanwhile, several miles outside the capital fortress…

Colossus could feel his bare backside being dragged across the metal encased surface of the ground. Gloved hands gripped his wrists tightly. He could hear the panting and wheezing of another Irken struggling to pull his massive bulk along. Colossus's eyes fluttered open. He could see large buildings reaching for the sky, but they seemed to be overly elongated and swaying. Irk's color scheme of black reds and purples were washed out in grayscale. He saw the two Irkens hauling his body away, but their forms were cloaked in silhouettes. All the other details of his surroundings faded in a blur.

He inhaled, but it was excruciating to breathe. He choked up blood as he exhaled. Head pounding and limbs throbbing, Colossus clenched his eyes shut.

"Look at the size of this guy!" A male Irken exclaimed excitedly.

"Tell me about it. Wonder why ol' Toog was after him?" Another voice, male, but harsh and mechanical, replied.

"Who cares?" The first voice chuckled. "He's better off with us anyways."

The second Irken laughed, but immediately began to choke and wheeze. "Think he will fight, brother?"

"He'll fight…one way or another, he'll fight…"

Their laughter sounded distant and gargled. The air went silent and the world faded to black. Colossus could hold onto consciousness no longer.

Scoodge glanced over at Zim. The smeet looked to his lap, wearing a somber expression. "What's wrong?"

"I feel…sorry for general Toog."

Scoodge shook his head in disbelief. Zim had never expressed real compassion for an Irken that was not himself. "Why?" He was compelled to ask.

Zim shrugged. "He was just following orders. Tallest Kalb should have known not to send Toog after the Colossus alone if his whole team of commandos couldn't do the job. Toog died 'cause of Kalb's incompetence, not his own." Zim quickly covered his mouth and kicked himself inwardly. He knew better than to imply that a tallest can make anything else but right decisions.

He and Scoodge instinctively looked around for anyone who might have overheard Zim's traitorous statement. The coast seemed clear.

"It's okay, Zim." Scoodge assured him. "I know where you're coming from. But… I think I feel more sorry for the Colossus."

Zim shushed him. "Forget it. Just keep reading."

a/n: Boy howdy I suck at writing action. Weezaam is a totally made up drug for the Invader Zim fic, but its effects are based loosely on the effects weed and acid give (Weed and acid are two different drugs with two different highs. Acid is the drug that makes you trip noodles for any straight edges out there). Dialog between Xill and Gug are based off the neighborg tripping scene(probably didn't spell that right XD) from Heavy Metal. This is not a "don't do drugs" fic, just to be clear. I loves me my drugs XD. Just don't do drugs and drive.

"Panic Attack" is by Dream Theater. Thanks for reading everybody. How am I doing so far? I crave input! Gimmie! XD


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Triumvirate

Kalb shattered what was left of the stained glass door with a single punch, cursing venomously. The control brains watched their father throw his temper tantrum, patiently waiting until the enraged tallest ran out of steam.

"How **dare **it! How **DARE** it break free from my stronghold!" Kalb spat, kicking an antique sofa on its side. "I swear by severed thumb s, I'll hunt down that insolent upstart and rip its spooch from its throat!"

"The likelihood the Colossus survived the fall is incredibly slim." Control Brain Wyvi assured Kalb, sparing him the long, drawn-out statistics.

Kalb glared back at his purple-eyed creation, teeth bared.

"A-and even if it did survive, the likelihood it could remain hidden on Irk's open terrain is even slimmer." Wyvi added meekly. "In its current state, the Colossus is highly noticeable and highly vulnerable. It will turn up soon."

A growl escaped Kalb's throat. "Precisely! Should those peons measure him before I can recapture him, he might be crowned the next tallest and all my hard work- ALL my accomplishments will have been made in vain! I cannot allow this to happen! It's inferior blood is unworthy of Tallest rank! I am the supreme ruler! No growth spurt it goes through will change that!"

"With all do respect, father," Control Brain Subli addressed him cautiously. "The Colossus has not outgrown you yet. You have more important matters to worry about."

Kalb's antennae perked. "Oh…? And what might they be?"

"Irk's population is experiencing a frightening decline in numbers. Our soldier count in is in the low millions. Adult natural born Irkens do not appear to be responding to the pak installation well. Suicide rates have quadrupled-"

Kalb flashed his red-eyed creation a dismissive hand gesture. "That is to be expected. Genetic cleansing is intended to kill off the inferiors, leaving the few and fortunate superiors. Have no fear. Once the incubation cycle has been put into motion, the birthing factories will replace this backwards generation with a new breed of pak carrying super-soldiers!"

"But the bipedal smeets will still need a period of time to develop and train. Until then, the empire is doomed to recession." Tah warned.

Kalb folded his arms across his chest plate. "Explain."

"The armada triumphed over the Planet Jackers at the battle of Hobo13, but I remind you, father, that it was just a battle. Irk has not yet won the war." Tah continued boldly. "Irk's forces are keeping the Planet Jackers at bay on their home world, but with so few left to fight, the Armada is growing weary. There…is a strong possibility of a retreat. Then there are the Vortians…"

Kalb's eyes twitched with annoyance at the mentioning of that disgusting species. "What about the Vortians?"

"Though the Planet Jackers' population has declined along with ours, the Vortians have experienced a gross increase in numbers, without the use of artificial incubation I might add." Tah replied.

"Developments with Vortian war machines are disturbing." Subli added. "According to your elite spies, the Vortians have been using their increased manpower for scientific research. Though our ships outnumber theirs, Vortian vessels are now faster than our own and are equipped with deadlier weapons. Our spies also stole experimental plans for a more efficient power core and stealth cloaking devices. The Armada is still enforcing the embargo on Vort's steel industry, but the Vortians have destroyed seven thousand-fifty-nine ships and climbing. With our military stretched so thin I fear the soldiers stationed at Vort will have to retreat soon as well."

Kalb's eyes bulged with disbelief. How could the technology of such an inferior species as the Vortians advance beyond that of Irks?

A smirk formed on Kalb's face and a scheme in his twisted brain meats. He began to chuckle then cackled manically. "Good!" He exclaimed, throwing a triumphant fist in the air. "This is too good! The Armada will retreat from Vort! The embargo will end!"

The Control Brains exchanged confused glances. "That's it? You accept defeat?" Wyvi asked, puzzled.

Kalb poked one of his smaller purple eyes. "No, you idiot! The Vortians have not defeated us! Far from it! Those horned monstrosities fancy themselves a peaceful race, so rather than execute a hostile takeover, I shall execute a peaceful one." Kalb began to pace the chamber, taping his fingers together in thought. "I shall summon the Vortian Triumvirate and offer a treaty between our people. Upon the terms, Irk will supervise **all **Vortian military research. Why crush their efforts when I can use them to my own advantage? It's BRILLIANT!"

"And if the Triumvirate refuse to sign the treaty?" Subli inquired.

Kalb snickered like a mischievous smeet. "Then the Armanda will **obliterate **Vort."

The Control Brains Gasped in unison. "But Father!" Wyvi protested. "Irk's military is no longer large enough to obliterate Vort in a single attack."

"That is what we are trying to tell you!" Tah added.

Kalb shushed his creations. "You let me take care of that…"

On the Mighty Nova, moments later…

The communication officers/pilots immediately sat upright and saluted as Kalb's image appeared on the main monitor. "I am about to give you a direct order." Their Tallest announced without hesitation for conversational pleasantries. "You will carry my order out immediately, is that understood, soldiers?"

"Sir yes Sir!" All twelve pilots answered in unison.

Kalb smiled. He loved being the boss. "Very good. Summon the Vortian Triumvirate. Tell them to appear before me here in Titanolis at the capital Fortress by o three hundred hours to discuss a peace treaty."

The pilots froze, completely shocked. The word "treaty" did not exist the Irken vocabulary. "A- a peace tre-"

"Send the damn message!"

They jumped in their seats into attention. "Sir, yes Sir!" They chanted with gusto and immediately opened a communication line with planet Vort's capital city.

"Assure those ugly creatures my royal guards will be unarmed." He added. "Over and out." Satisfied, Kalb ended his transmission.

Meanwhile, several miles outside the Irken capital city of Titanolis…

Colossus laid flat on his back on a steel cot protruding from the rusty wall of a prison cell. The chilly air was stale and reeked of sweat and gore. A thin unwashed sheet covered his battered, naked frame. The one light above his head flickered, the light bulb ready to burn out any second. Colossus could not sense any of this however. He was passed out cold with a severe concussion and several broken ribs.

His pak hummed as its inner mechanisms struggled to administer medicinal aid to his failing squeedly spooch. Unfortunately his prototype model was ill-equipped to reactivate an Irken of his immense stature. Colossus would have to heal the old fashion way- naturally, slow and painfully.

Across the opposite side of the cell, another Irken watched the unconscious Colossus- Her pale lavender eyes fixated on him intently. She sat, legs pulled to her chest on her own uncomfortable cot. Had her "masters" thrown in any other new cellmate, she would have reached for the broken axe blade she carefully hid in the crack between the wall and her cot, but she had no reason to fear this prisoner. This Irken would not harm her in a million years.

A tear rolled down her cheek. What is his name? She had loved this Irken so very much at one point in time, this she knew for certain, but she could not remember his name to save her wretched, forsaken life! The female cursed her memory-wiping pak inwardly, and the tyrant who fused it into her spine. Suddenly she heard booted footsteps approaching and immediately wiped away her tear.

Two Irken males stopped just outside her cell. The computer ran a quick bio scan on them then deactivated the laser grid door just long enough to allow them entrance.

"I know he's handsome, but don't get to chummy with the new guy, Drah." The slightly heavier of the two teased, flashing a lewd grin."

"Cram it up your waste tube, Lurr!" Drah hissed.

"Is that any way to greet a superior Irken? The thinner of the two asked, wheezing through a metal respirator.

Drah rolled her eyes. "We are of the same height. You are hardly my superior"

"Oh, you champions." Ress giggled condescendingly. "Win a few matches and you think you're invincible." He added, stroking her cheek tenderly.

Drah grabbed his hand and forced it behind his pak. She bit down hard on the tube connecting the oxygen tank extension on his pak to his respirator, cutting off his air supply.

"RESS!" Lurr cried and pounced on Drah, pinning her to the floor. Ress pulled himself to his feet, coughing violently.

"GET OFF ME!"

Lurr yanked hard on her antennae until she quit squirming. "Try anything cute like that again and I'll feed you to the googore-hydramite!" He warned.

Drah gritted her teeth, her entire body swelling with rage. "I slaughtered a million alien enemies in the name of Torhna! Do you really think I fear two AWOL trash-sacks like you?"

Ress snickered, wine-red eyes twinkling with sadistic delight. "Perhaps not, _Lieutenant, _but afraid of us or not, your pak belongs to Blood Sport…" He looked to Colossus, expression sober. "And so does his."

Drah let out a grunt as Lurr released her antennae and shoved her aside. He and his brother approached the Colossus, antennae perked with curious intent.

Ress slapped his face a few times and tapped his knuckles against his scratched black chest pak. "He does not stir." Ress observed, wheezing through the thin slits of the respirator that encased the entire lower half of his face. "His pak should have revived him by now. What do you think, brother? Is he a defective?"

"Of course." Lurr chuckled, leaning against Colossus's shoulder casually as if he was merely a railing. "Why else would Tallest Kalb have allowed General Toog to gun down a guy this tall?"

"He is NOT a defective!" Drah insisted, pointing.

The wine-eyed Irkens flashed her a peculiar look. "Really? You know 'em?" Lurr inquired.

Drah recoiled a bit. "No…" She answered, tone listless. "I don't know him. But I know a good soldier when I spot one."

"Good soldier- Ha!" Ress scoffed. "The empire is packed with soldiers. They are nothing special. Is he a good _warrior? _Now THAT is the question!"

A small hole drilled in the pit of Ress's throat began to leak puss as he struggled to breathe. Colossus felt a drop of the warm gooey substance hit his arm. His green-blue eyes popped open."

"_Eins zwei drei vier funf sechs sieben acht noin __**aus**__"_

In ancient times, Irkens had been a strictly nocturnal species. Their eyes evolved large and lustrous, able to absorb and process the tiniest traces of moonlight.

The sun would not rise for another three hours. Irk's sky was at her darkest black and the Irkens' visibility was at their peak. Traditionally, this was an hour of comfort; the calm moment before dawn approached and soaked Irk's horizon in a fiery red that briefly blinded all who looked directly upward. No sense of calm could be felt now however. Something bizarre was happening and none intended to miss it.

_Alle warten auf das Licht  
"Fürchtet euch fürchtet euch nicht"_

_  
_The city of Titanolis boomed with excitement. An endless swarm of battle cruisers returning home from Vort's orbital space blocked out the sky. Soldiers and service drones alike flocked to the capital Fortress to witness the signing of the Irken/ Vortian peace treaty. They watched as Tallest Kalb passed through the front doors of his stronghold with his head held high and a swat team of his royal guards marching behind him. They were unarmed, but ever alert and watching.

On the courtyard, Kalb waved to the crowd who wiggled their antennae in salute, wearing his best fake friendly smile. Five minutes passed and the Irken commoners still cheered and saluted. Another five minutes passed, ten minutes, twenty. No one dared to be the first Irken to quit saluting, in fear the royal guards would interpret the gesture as a show of disrespect. To avoid execution, the Irkens cheered on, wiggling their antennae until their scalps burned.

Kalb reveled in their applause, barely noticing a solid hour of saluting had passed by. Kalb blinked to rub his eye for just a brief second. The entire crowd took the opportunity to end their salute simultaneously. Not a moment too soon. Another second longer and there would have been A LOT of broken antennae to sweep up.

"_Die Sonne scheint mir aus den Augen  
Sie wird heut Nacht nicht untergehen"_

_  
_Kalb bowed slightly to the exhausted crowd. "You're all too kind!"

"My Tallest" A communication officer spoke, clutching the device on his temple. "We are receiving a transmission from the Mighty Nova. Vort's flag ship has entered Irk's atmosphere. They request permission to land."

"Permission granted." Kalb straightened his posture and hoisted a flag above his head. The black material flowed in the wind with the elite Irken skull insignia printed in red dead center. The reversal of Irk's flag colors signified peace. The crowd stared at the fabric in awe. A peace flag had not been flown in centuries. Even the eldest Irkens in the crowd had never seen it.

"_Und die Welt zählt laut bis zehn"_

_  
_No sooner did he raise the flag did a large Vortian ship came into view. It hovered over the capital fortress for a moment than slowly descended onto the landing bay. The crowd dispersed to either side of the landing pad, allowing the foreign ship room to park.

"_Eins  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_Gasps of shock and alarm filled the air. The ship's doors opened and the whistling of a strange tune played on Vortian wind instruments tickled their antennae. Vortian fifers first appeared from the ship. The vines draped over their horns swayed as they danced and played their instruments gaily in honor of their Triumvirate. Their new Irken audience immediately covered their antennae. (Tallest Xish enforced heavy censorship laws on music and art generations ago, but rather than waste the energy censoring music, Kalb now banned it altogether. The Vortians criticized Irkens as a race who lacked creativity. In return, the Irkens criticized Vortians as a race of unorganized time wasters.)

Finally the Vortian Triumvirate along with their own royal body guards made their appearance. They trotted upon Irks surface confidently flaunting their polished horns and decorative uniforms. The crowd whispered amongst themselves, blurting hateful slurs as the Vortian dignitaries passed by. A few of the Vortian guards whispered among themselves, guessing the definition of each slur overheard. Since the two species first blood stained encounter, the Vortians always bashed the Irken language, dubbing it a choppy, savage tongue offensive to the sense of hearing and incapable of forming melody.

"_Zwei  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

Kalb's left antennae twitched as the Triumvirate soiled his fortress courtyard with their inferior footsteps. He feared a large part of him would die inside if he actually had to acknowledge the rag-tag trio as political rulers. Kalb forced his expression to soften. He had to swallow his pride, just this once, for his plan to work.

The eldest of the Triumvirate butted ahead. "The vote was unanimous. We agree to hear you out, Tallest Kalb." She nearly choked on the mentioning of the Irken's respected title.

"Long live democracy!" The Vortian guards and fifers chanted.

"_Drei  
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen"_

Kalb inwardly struggled to wrap his brain around the concept of democracy. He knew the history of the Vortian electoral process well, but still it sounded so outlandish, as if such a thing could only exist in fairytales or bad dreams.

Voting takes place the first day of every Vortian century. Several decades after the birth of Colossus, and a year before the official measuring of Tallest Kalb, the citizens of Vort performed a strange custom they call an election, during which, three new rulers of Vort were chosen to lead the planet. During the last election, the citizens of Vort elected a buck named Boe-Nytta, the stubborn, a doe named Twii-Vope, the prudent and another doe named Cara-Het, the shrewd. The Triumvirate was prepared to debate, to argue and to negotiate. They were not prepared to suffer the malevolent wrath of Tallest Kalb, the Widower.

"_Vier  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_Boe-Nytta was the first to halt. He motioned for his guards to stop and raise their own peace flag- a white flag with two yellow horns intertwined forming a V. "We will step no further!" he informed Kalb, eying his commandos suspiciously. "I will stand upon Irken ground if I must, but I will not stand beneath an Irken ceiling."

"My guards are unarmed, as promised." Kalb motioned for the guards to raise their perfectly empty hands as proof. "You are welcome here."

Cara-Het snickered. "Since when are Irken promises genuine?"

"Let's be civil, shall we? Bickering does not a solid declaration of peace make."

"The Irken has a point." Twii-Vope agreed. "If it will spare our people further deaths or casualties, it is our responsibility to try and talk peaceably."

"_Die Sonne scheint mir aus den Händen  
Kann verbrennen kann euch blenden"_

_  
_Boe-Nytta gritted his sharp teeth. He often grew weary of his co-ruler's softhearted preaching, even if she did occasionally shed some wisdom. "I still will not enter." He stated firmly, stomping one tiny pointed foot. "His fortress is a death trap. And I don't trust that overgrown bug any farther than I can throw him"

"Nor do I." Cara- Het concurred. "Best we keep our distance. All that needs to be said shall be said here in the open near our ship."

Twii-Vope sighed in defeat. She had been outvoted. "Very well."

"Let's proceed." Kalb hovered forward, trying his best to carry himself non-threateningly. "Hours ago, I had ordered my fleet to abandon Vort."

"Yes, we noticed." Boe-Nytta grumbled.

Kalb glared down at the young, thick-skulled Vortian. "I intend to permanently lift the embargo currently suffocating Vortian trade. In fact, I believe our planets can profit off each other."

Boe-Nytta couldn't help but laugh. "Do you really? That's rich. Seventy decades of bombardment and mayhem, and all of a sudden you wish to form an alliance? You must be the first Tallest in history to wake up on the right side of the bed."

Kalb chuckled. "Since my people have evolved beyond the need for sleep-" He tapped is pak, smirking smugly. "I can assure you, that is not the case. My desires are rational and my offer is fair."

"What _are _you offering our people, Tallest Kalb?" Cara-Het inquired, determined to cut to the chase as usual.

The Widower paused to collect his thoughts. "Vort will never again live in fear of an Irken invasion. Irken vessels will not intrude upon your orbital space. Never again will your delivery ships be gunned down in mid take off. No one on Vort will so much as receive a violent joke message on their personal computers from this day forward. My people and your people will co-exist in this galaxy in perfect harmony."

"That sounds lovely." Boe-Nytta sneered sarcastically. "But what is the catch?"

Kalb shrugged. "No catch. Just terms. The elite nor any other power in the universe will ever commit acts of violence against your people, the Irken elite will ensure this. I only demand that you agree to allow my military to fund and supervise all scientific research performed on Vort."

"_Wenn sie aus den Fäusten bricht  
Legt sich heiss auf das Gesicht"_

_  
_"Are you MAD, Irken?" Boe-Nytta cried

Twii-Vope covered her co-ruler's mouth. "Forgive his manners, or lack thereof. Boe-Nytta is young and brash. What my fellow dignitary means to say is your offer sounds less than tempting."

Outraged, Boe-Nytta jerked away from her, mouth freed. "You are no position to make such demands!" he objected, pointing to Kalb. "What kind of cowards do you take us for? We do NOT fear an Irken take-over! Your people are currently **incapable **of taking over Vort! We have fought your Armada off time and time again, and we shall continue to fight you off!"

"What he says is true." Cara -Het couldn't help but smirk. "We are aware of your planet's dwindling population. Although the cause of the decline is unknown to us, the numbers certainly do not lie. Your Armada does not have the technical strength or the sheer brute force it would take to invade our planet."

"Did you summon us here to make peace with us or insult us?"

"Boe-Nytta, please!" Twii-Vope begged him. She looked to Kalb, expression uncharacteristically stern. "The Triumvirate has unanimously decided. We respectfully decline your offer. Should there be a day when our worlds can reside peacefully in the galaxy, I will be a happy doe, but until then, the war is on."

"_Sie wird heut Nacht nicht untergehen  
Und die Welt zählt laut bis zehn"_

_  
_Boe-Nytta placed his hand in hers. "Fear not, my dear. Soon it will be the Irkens who fight on the defensive."

A chorus of offended gasps filled the air. The entire audience stared at their Tallest, anticipating his response to the buck's insult. The Vortian guards stepped back, forming a loose huddle. They were surrounded by the enemy after all, and their dignitary's words did not seem to inspire good will.

"_Eins  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

The Triumvirate however, did not back down .

Kalb let out a chuckle. "Your people did not choose wisely when they elected this arrogant kid." He spoke to the does, unwilling to acknowledge Boe-Nytta any further. "He obviously underestimates the might of my Empire if he is foolish enough to threaten it. We Irkens **do not** take kindly to threats."

Holes opened along the pathway. Steel grappling chords shot out from them and latched onto the ankles and wrists of the Vortians tightly. The chords retracted back in the holes, stretching their limbs until they knelt before Kalb.

"_Zwei  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

The Vortians bucked, struggling to pull free, but that seemed to only tighten their restraints. It was no use; they were completely immobile. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Boe-Nytta snarled. "You said your soldiers were unarmed!"

Kalb laughed. "They are! The control brains activated the snares." He pointed upward to his observatory balcony. "They watched you, listened to your every word, and they are unpleased with your decision."

"You can't do this to us! We swore a temporary truce! This goes against the Irken rules of war!" Cara-Het reminded him.

Kalb spit on her face. "What do you know of the Irken rules of war, sow?"

"Tallest Torhna would never go against-"

"TORHNA IS DEAD!" Kalb roared. "**I **am the tallest now! **I **make the rules!" He began to pace before the bound Triumvirate, rubbing his chin in thought. "I offer you peace and protection and you turn your backs to me! Your arrogance will be your undoing! It doesn't matter what scientific feat your people accomplish! the Irken empire will **all ways** be superior! We will all ways be in command!"

The crowd cheered, swelling with patriotism.

"_Drei  
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen"_

_  
_Boe-Nytta pulled as hard as he could. Every fiber of his being wished to ram Kalb right in his squeedly spooch. "Wipe off that grin, Kalb before I run a hole through your fucking torso!"

"Kalb leered forward and pinched Boe-Nytta's cream-colored cheek. "Aw, the threats of a testosterone fueled buck." he snickered. "How delightfully primal."

Twi-Vope looked back at her fellow Vortians. She couldn't stand to see innocent people- her people, look so terrified. "Do what you want with me, Kalb, but let our subjects go. This is between us and you, not them."

"That goes double for me!" Boe-Nytta barked.

"And me!" Cara-Het agreed.

"Elite soldiers of Irk!" Kalb called out to the crowd. "Shall I release these Vortian commoners? Or shall I order you all to tear them limb from limb?"

"_Vier  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

They crowd exploded with excitement over the second option . Kalb looked to the triumvirate and shrugged, grinning. "Then it is unanimously decided! Tear these filthy creatures apart with your bare hands, but do not lay a finger on the Triumvirate!"

"_Funf  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_The Vortian dignitaries screamed in protest, but in vain. Within seconds, the Irken mob swarmed the Vortian guards and fifers. Some pulled at their grappling chords, popping limbs and ripping ligaments, others kicked and scratched at the Vortians, tearing off large hunks of skin, some gouged out their eyes and knock out their teeth.

One of the fifer's arms was ripped from his torso. Blue blood sprayed all over the uniforms of the attacking Irkens, but they ignored it completely and continued to maul. Kalb laughed hysterically as pieces of Vortian anatomy were strewn asunder like confetti. "LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!"

"_Sechs  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Boe-Nytta vowed, still struggling. "YOU'LL REGRET YOU EVER SET EYES ON VORT, YOU **SAVAGES**!"

Kalb clapped his hands. Immediately, six of his royal guards jumped on Cara-Het and Twii-Vope and grabbed their restraints.

Kalb motioned for them to freeze. He gazed into the beady, fear filled eyes of his Vortian captives. "You see, most exalted Triumvirate, my empire is mightier than you give it credit. My people will soon metamorphose into a force unlike anything you have faced before. Either your people willingly collaborate with mine _now_, or all of Vort will suffer the wrath of the Irken elite _later_."

The blood curdling screams of their fellow Vortians echoed throughout their horned skulls. Boe-Nytta looked to his fellow dignitaries. Teary eyed, the does shook their heads no. The vote was final. "Never, Irken scum! Vort's technological secrets will NEVER be yours!"

Kalb raised a brow. "Never…? We'll see about that. Guards, slaughter the sows."

His guards yanked at Cara-Het and Twii-Vope's restraints as hard as they could. The does cried out in pain as their limbs popped out of joint.

"NO!" Boe-Nytta begged.

Kalb ignored the young buck. "What is the vote now, Vortian?"

"Don't give in!" Cara-Het shrieked.

Boe-Nytta cringed as the guards stretched the doe's arms and legs past their breaking point, spraying blood over his face.

"It doesn't have to be this way."

"Don't listen to him!" Twii-Vope warned. Seconds later, the guards pulled her apart as well. Boe-Nytta cried out her name at the sight of it, face drenched with tears.

"_Acht, noin  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_"HALT!"

Kalb's guards immediately dropped the grappling chords and stepped away from the corpses. The crowd ignored their blood lust and looked to their tallest, awaiting further instructions.

Kalb looked to the horizon. The first rays of the morning sun were beginning to show. Elongated shadows of the surrounding Irken commoners engulfed the scattered Vortian remains.

"_Die Sonne scheint mir aus den Händen  
Kann verbrennen kann dich blenden  
Wenn sie aus den Fäusten bricht  
Legt sich heiss auf dein Gesicht"_

_  
_He then looked to Boe-Nytta, who collapsed before him, a weeping mess. Kalb breathed a satisfied sigh. "It's a shame it had to come to this."

He scowled up at the Irken, snarling. "What did this accomplish?" He asked, sobbing. "Go on, Kalb! Kill me too! I can't return to Vort like this! I can't face my people without Cara and Twii! Go on, you coward! **Do it already**!"

"_Legt sich schmerzend auf die Brust  
Das Gleichgewicht wird zum Verlust  
Lässt dich hart zu Boden gehen  
Und die Welt zählt laut bis zehn"_

_  
_Kalb shook his head no. "As much as I would like to, killing you would be…oh how to put it? Counterproductive. You see, kid, you could return to Vort a hero. There is no Triumvirate now. The decision is all yours. All you have to do is sign the treaty and ensure Vort upholds its end of the terms, and nothing like this will ever happen to your people again."

Kalb offered Boe-Nytta a pen and an official digital scroll.

The grappling chords loosened and Boe-Nytta stood upright. Still shedding a mournful tear, he snatched the digital scroll from Kalb's grip and begrudgingly scrawled his name on the treaty. Once the treaty was signed, the scroll shrunk into its cylindrical steel casing and locked. Boe-Nytta tossed the treaty at Kalb's face and stomped off towards his ship, dragging what little remained of his fellow dignitaries with him.

Kalb ordered his guards to assist loading the Vortian corpses onto their ship so they could receive burial their home planet. No would ever say Tallest Kalb was unmerciful.

The Vortian ship lifted off the landing bay. It blasted off towards the rising sun, disappearing in the red light. Boe-Nytta would have to return home, alone and defeated

"_Eins  
Hier kommt die Sonne  
Zwei  
Hier kommt die Sonne  
Drei  
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen  
Vier  
Und wird nie vom Himmel fallen  
Funf  
Hier kommt die Sonne  
Sechs  
Hier kommt die Sonne  
Sieben  
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen  
Acht, noin  
Hier kommt die Sonne"_

_  
_On Irk, Kalb's subjects cheered, jumping for joy on the bloodstained fortress courtyard, waving whatever body parts they managed to keep as mementos in triumph. A new day had dawned for their people and for the Vort's. With Vortian technology applied to Irken militarism, there was nothing the elite couldn't accomplish!

The celebration, though sweet, was a short one. Kalb assured his people they would reap the benefits of the newly established treaty soon and ordered everyone to leave the premises and return to work. He turned for the fortress entrance, leaving his guards to shoo all loiterers off the premises.

Kalb yawned wearily as he settled on his throne. Diplomatic work is quite a drudgery, but that was the burden he had to bear as supreme ruler of Irk. But, the treaty was a complete success as anticipated. Sometimes _sometimes_ its not who's bigger, it's who's meaner. Like every tallest before him, Kalb kept that little fact buried deep in the back of his head.

Now that _**that **_had been taken care of, he was ready to begin the search for the Colossus.

"But first…" He thought aloud. "Offa!" he barked at the service drone through the intercom. "Fetch me a cold soda!"

Zim and Scoodge exchanged puzzled glances. "But…but Tallest Miyuki arranged the Irken supervision of Vortian technological development with the Triumvirate eighteen years ago on Vort's sixth moon." Scoodge scratched behind his antennae. "That's what the data core in the birthing chamber encoded into our paks anyways."

"According to the data core, Tallest Kalb never existed or the Colossus for that matter." Zim's face contorted in thought. "Either Tyz is lying or the data core is lying."

"Who do you think is telling the truth?"

Zim paused. "I…I don't know. Keep reading. Something has to add up eventually…"

A/n: "The sun is shining out of my hands

It can burn, it can blind you

When it breaks out of the fist

It lays down hotly on your face

It lays down painfully on your chest

Balance is lost

It lets you go hard to the floor

And the world counts loudly to ten

Boy howdy this sure is a long chapter. Maybe too long. A lot of dialog. Yup…but I've had this scene in my head for years, ever since I first listened to "Sonne" (which is by Rammstein).


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Welcome to BloodSport

Asharp pain shot through the upper half of-

A pair of hands reached out from behind and grabbed Zim and Scoodge by the shoulders. Screaming, the startled smeets spun around expecting to see the scarred scowling face of their overseer, Tyz, but to their relief, saw the grinning face of a good friend.

"Taat!" Zim exclaimed, clutching his chest as if having a heart attack.

"That's me!" A mischievous light twinkled in Taat's otherwise dull green eyes. He saluted. "Big mean evergreen at your service."

"Quit sneaking up on us!" Scoodge cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you two sneak aboard the staff elevator when I left the mess hall to empty my waste compartment." He explained nonchalantly.

Scoodge shifted nervously, antennae wilting with dread. "Y-you didn't tell mistress Sic, did you?"

Taat flicked his antenna. "Come on! Have I ever snitched on you guys before?"

Zim eyed him suspiciously. "HAVE YOU?" He cried, pointing dramatically.

"Never. Cross my pak and hope to expire." Taat recited his favorite vow, tracing an "x" over the aid pak on to his stomach. Taat was one of the tallest smeets in their age group (older than Zim by a mere 20 minutes and Scoodge by 23), measuring second only to Mara and Jana, but unlike most of the other taller smeets, Taat's heart and squeedly spooch was not developing nearly as quickly as his skeleton, so he required a second miniature pak to keep his organs functioning. "Sic _did_ notice you were missing though. Don't worry, Zim. I told her Scoodge had a bad allergic reaction to the new nacho sauce so you escorted him to a medic."

Scoodge frowned, embarrassed. "Gee thanks, Taat."

"Hey! You're lucky I covered for your asses at all after that stupid stunt you pulled last year!"

Scoodge looked to his lap, shoulders weighed down with guilt. He still felt terrible for talking Taat into distracting the overseers while they snuck up to Irk's surface (well, technically Zim talked him into it, but Scoodge never objected). Being taller, Taat is expected to be more responsible (though he never is) and received a much harsher beating for Horrible Painful Overload Day part II. Considering the beating Zim and Scoodge took, that is no understatement.

"Hey, you volunteered." Zim reminded him, refusing to show outward signs of guilt himself.

Taat disregarded his statement. "What are you doing in Tyz's private quarters anyways? And how did you log onto his computer?" he leaned forward, squinting hard at the screen. "Is this in Irken? I can't make chest or pak of any of this."

"Scoodge tapped into it! It was all his idea!"

"Was not! It was his idea!"

"LIES! All of it!"

Taat eyed Zim sternly.

Zim cursed his tall comrade inwardly. Taat was the one Irken on the planet he respected too much to lie to, especially when speaking face to face with him. "Tyz has some pretty weird stuff saved on his personal drive." He told _a _truth. "Scoodge is translating ."

Scoodge rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…maybe we should quit while we're ahead, Zim. Don't you want to hear your score for the holo training evaluation?"

"Yes…" Zim admitted. "But we can't-"

"Then it's settled, let's go!" Scoodge hopped down from the chair and followed Taat towards the exit.

Zim lingered behind. "Eh- eh- eh WAIT!" He begged, waving his arms frantically.

The others turned around, flashing him strange looks. "What?"

"You can't just bail out now! Don't you want to find out what happens to the Colossus in the Bludgeon Stadium?"

Taat's antennae twitched with curious delight. "_The_ Bludgeon Stadium? That gibbildy gik on Tyz's personal drive is about Blood Sport?"

Zim grinned. Taat is a HUGE Blood Sport fanatic. He snuck into the Overseer's lounge to watch every gory broadcasted match he could. "Sure is."

"Neat! Why didn't you say so?" Taat hurdled over the back of the chair, causing Zim to bounce in the air as he landed on the cushion. "Come on, Scoodge!" he waved the chubby smeet over. "Start translating. I gotta hear this."

"But, I thought you two wanted to hear your scores?"

"Aw, there's still time to sneak back down to the combat simulator station." Taat assured him. "It's not as if I passed anyways."

Zim elbowed him in his ribs. "Don't talk like that, soldier!" He scolded. "I mean, it's not like you outscored me, sure, but you're just as prepared for hands-on training as any other smeet."

Taat cracked him a weak smile. He appreciated the load of confidence, but he knew deep down he would die long before rising to the rank of elite soldier. His aid pak barely kept him alive and he had yet to show signs of recuperation after seven years of wearing it. The overseers and the taller smeets also knew of his tragically short life expectancy and showed little compassion towards him. Because it seemed Taat would never compromise anyone's chances of one day reaching Tallest height, the other taller smeets treated him like absolute shit. Taat had no future, so he simply gave up on himself, even if Zim refused to. "You going to read or what, Scoodge?"

"There's no point. You walked into the middle of the story. You wouldn't know what's going on." Scoodge protested.

"You can always fill me in as we go along." Taat insisted.

Scoodge repeatedly looked to the door then to the anxious faces on his friends. He sighed in defeat and returned to the chair, wedging himself between Taat and Zim. "Okay, where was I?…"

Asharp pain shot through the upper half of his squeedly spooch as he bolted upright. Colossus grimaced, yowling in agony.

Ress pushed him back against the cot. "Not so fast, pal." He waved a disapproving pointer finger. "Your ribs are broken. Bend the wrong way and you'll puncture your squeedly spooch. Believe me, that's **very **painful."

Colossus struggled to comprehend what the slightly taller than average stranger was saying through his pounding migraine. Wincing, he looked about in horror. Everything was still gray besides the wine red eyes of the two Irkens leering overhead. Colossus forced his eyes to focus. Details of his new surroundings became clearer. A terrible realization finally hit him. He was being held captive in yet _another_ prison cell!

Overwhelmed by fear, Colossus tried to get up, but the BloodSport brothers tackled him, forcing their combined weight on him to keep him still. "Relax, would ya?" Lurr snapped. "We're not going to hurt you!"

"_This shit hole jail cell suggest otherwise_!" Colossus sneered inwardly, but stopped squirming.

The strangers eased off of him. "You put up quite a fight against General Toog. Good show, soldier." Ress commended him, diseased mucus rattling in his throat. "So, what's your name?"

Colossus felt as if he was spinning. He shook his head, groaning.

"Focus!" Lurr slapped his face. "Allow me to restate my brother's question in the form of an order. "**State **your name."

Colossus opened his mouth to answer, but paused. He had no real name that he was aware of besides his test subject alias, "The Colossus" and that was the name Kalb addressed him by. He certainly was not about to give these shady characters that information. "I…don't know…don't have one."

"Okay…" A frown formed on Lurr's face. "Where do you come from?"

"Irk."

"No reeking sputch, idiot! Which _sector _of Irk?"

Again Colossus paused to think and drew a complete blank. "I don't know."

"State your occupation or academy of training and the commanding officer you trained under."

"I DON'T KNOW!" Colossus shouted, frustrated with the interrogation.

Aggravated, Lurr slammed his fist against the cot and walked away, muttering. Ress looked to his brother, antennae drooped, completely at a loss. He turned back to Colossus. "Why did the Tallest order General Toog to arrest you?"

"…Trespassing…Murder…Rebellion…" He quoted the dead general, unable to form his thoughts into full sentences.

Though Ress seemed satisfied enough with his reply. "Do Tell?" His lips formed an enthused lopsided grin beneath his respirator. "You'll make a damn fine warrior, all right."

Lurr shook his head, unconvinced. "I'm starting to have doubts about this guy, brother. I mean, he's tough sure, but look at 'em. He's a complete retard- way more trouble than he's worth. Why waste food and medical supplies on him?" He pulled a switchblade from beneath the lip of his glove and held it over Colossus's throat. "I say we do him a favor and put him out of his mis-"

"NO!" Drah grabbed his hand before the blade made contact. She stared straight into Lurr's eyes defiantly. "He isn't retarded. He just has a concussion. You'd be lucky to remember your own name too if you took the fall he did." _And you have no proof he's guilty of any of the crimes Kalb accused him of._ She added inwardly.

Colossus looked to the combat worn woman with deep gratitude.

Lurr shrugged indifferently. "Guess ya have a point, lieutenant."

Drah released his wrist. Lurr put away his knife. "_I'll _teach him combat." She volunteered. "With my training, he'll be the most ruthless fighter here."

The brothers formed a huddle. They whispered, bickering back and forth. Drah inched forward, graying antennae struggling to listen in.

Finally, they reached an agreement and turned to her. "Okay, Drah. If you think you can turn this delirious sack of sputch into a warrior, you're welcome to try." Ress permitted.

"But he better draw in one hell of a crowd or else…" Lurr swiped his finger across his throat.

Drah did not look intimidated. "You have my word, boys."

Lurr smiled and gave her rough slap on the pak. "Good. And sense you're so confident in your new pupil, you can be the one to treat his injuries."

Ress snuck up behind her and fastened a pair of energy cuffs over her hands. The brothers shared a spiteful laugh as she struggled to shake off the glowing orbs.

"Hurry up and fetch a first aid kit from the casualty ward." Ress ordered, taunting. "We got better things to do than smeet-sit you all morning."

Drah's face contorted in a threatening scowl. "How am I supposed to carry the kit like this?" She snapped, turning her back to display her restraints.

"You're a clever girl…" Ress snickered as he deactivated the laser bars to her cell.

Lurr kicked her out into the hallway. "You'll figure it out." he added.

Drah struggled to pull herself to her feet with her hands engulfed in the energy cuffs. By the time she stood upright, the laser bars had been reactivated. Enraged, she lunged at the brothers, snarling. Lurr sucker punched he in the spooch then forced her in a head lock. "Temper, Drah." He chimed in her antennae as if to a smeet. "Don't start setting bad examples to the new guy."

"One day, Lurr…" She vowed with a low hiss before he released her. She abandoned her urge to kill and looked back to her cell where the Colossus remained incapacitated. "You still awake in there?" She called to him gently.

Colossus turned his head towards her as far as he could and gave her a reassuring nod.

"Don't try to stand yet. Just rest until I get back. I won't let anything happen to you."

Colossus believed her. Why, he wasn't sure, but he did…

Ress gagged. The moment was getting to sappy for his liking. "That's enough of that." He pulled her away from the cell and started to drag her towards the medical wing.

"Step lively!" Lurr barked.

Drah cursed her existence inwardly. How long must she endure these indignities- being escorted out of a laser cage like a lowly alien hostage? More and more often she debated slitting her own throat. She forfeited that option for now. Her "pupil" needed her and she would not abandon him. Not here in BloodSport.

Colossus awoke once again to the soothing sensation of a cold pack being dabbed against his forehead.

"Drah?" He squinted up at her, head resting on her lap. He struggled to focus on her features.

She nodded, pleased. "You do remember my name. What about yours? Any idea?"

Colossus shook his head no. He still could not remember. His pak had erased too much.

"That's all right. It will come to one of us eventually…I hope. Hold this."

Colossus did as instructed and kept the cold pak pressed against his forehead. It was then he realized he was now wearing gloves. He looked down at his body, now clothed in formfitting faded black pants and steel toed combat boots. Bandages hugged his ribcage and his laser wounds had been cleaned. "_How long have I been unconscious?_"

"Almost three days now." Drah did not have to hear his voice to know what he was thinking. "It wasn't easy finding clothes to fit you. Stripped six corpses from last night's match for the material. We still need to scavenge from a few more losers before we have enough metal to piece together your armor. Does everything fit okay so far?"

Colossus nodded yes. He felt so relieved to be clothed from strange eyes and outside elements.

"You seem to be healing quickly. Your pak must have finally kicked into gear. Try not to show it in front of Ress and Lurr though. The second they think you're well enough, they'll toss you into the arena."

"W-where am I?"

Drah's antennae drooped. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're in the Bludgeon Stadium, or rather the underground dungeon of the Bludgeon Stadium. You're officially a gladiator now. If you want to survive, I suggest you follow my orders exactly, or they will kill you."

"They?"

"The other gladiators, or the alien captives, or the exotic alien beasts. You will fight them all, and you **must **win by any means necessary or die. That is the rule of Blood Sport." Drah stared out into space for a moment. "Kalb demoted me after I refused to command under his rule. His control brains strapped a pak to me and threw me in a Judgementian prison. The warden there sold me to Ress and Lurr and I've been a gladiator slave here at the stadium ever sense. I've fought and won hundreds of matches. Killed the worst form of criminals from murderers, traitors and rapists to the most wrongly accused innocents. But I would fight them all again if my only other option was to serve Kalb's empire." Her expression hardened with deep rooted hatred and resentment. "He is no Tallest. He was barely worthy of the rank of high general! Now Torhna, HE was a tallest and Brab, HE was a general. I…I still remember them. I remember the day they died…" Drah's breathing became slow and heavy as a painful flashback flooded back to her. The data processors of her pak might have erased every other memory, but it would could never erase the ghastly images of the battle for Hobo 13.

"_Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end  
No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend  
Running blind through killing fields, bred to kill them all  
Victim of what said should be  
A servant 'til I fall"  
_Tallest Torhna and his elite council discussed it for weeks. Irk's forces would face off with the planet Jackers on Hobo 13. The first to retreat would forfeit the planet and forever bear the humiliation of failure. High General Kalb would lead the armada into battle against the Jacker fleet while High General Brab of the terrain infantry would lead the onslaught against the Jacker horde on the planet's surface.

In a flash, she returned to the past. Drah, Lieutenant Drah, stood atop a small hill on the barren desert terrain of Hobo 13 in full battle gear. She held a hand over her eyes, blocking the intense sun as she looked towards the dusty horizon. Despite the armada's efforts in the orbital space above, a few Planet Jacker ships managed to penetrate the atmosphere and began to teleport their troops onto the surface. She looked to the tall, green-blue eyed general facing his troops. He wore a gleaming suit of armor and an expression devoid of emotion. But Drah knew he was scared. They all were, but they would gladly fight to the death for their beloved Tallest and for the glory of Irk!

_"Soldier boy, made of clay  
Now an empty shell  
Twenty one, only son  
But he served us well  
Bred to kill, not to care  
Do just as we say  
Finished here, greetings death  
He's yours to take away"  
_"The enemy is upon us, Brab!" She informed him. "Their numbers are increasing rapidly."

"War Bringers! Death Dealers! Brothers and Sisters of glorious mother Irk!" The high General addressed his troops, raising his lance to the sun. "This is what we trained for! Should you live, you will live victoriously! Should you die, your honorable sacrifice will forever be immortalized in the memory of future generations! Your empire is counting on you! **Do not** fail her this day! Death! DEATH! **DEATH TO ALL WHO APPOSE US!**"

_"Back to the front  
You will do what I say, when I say  
Back to the front  
You will die when I say, you must die  
Back to the front  
You coward  
You servant  
You blind man"  
_A chorus of battle cries echoed to the sky as the Irken army charged. General Brab and Lieutenant Drah raced side by side into battle. An exchange of laser pistols and Plasma cannons fired overhead, taking down soldiers from each army before either made it through the no man's land.

The two armies clashed in an explosion of bloodshed and chaos. Brab and Drah fought back to back as they vowed to do in imperial matrimony. With all their strength they hacked through their most hated enemies with ease. Well, ease is not quite the word for it. The Planet Jackers are not the stealthiest species in the universe, but they are much larger and stronger than most Irkens. However Brab and Drah were well trained and loyal to highest caliber. Tallest Torhna did not trust them to lead his troops without good reason.

_"Barking of machinegun fire, does nothing to me now  
Sounding of the clock that ticks, get used to it somehow  
More a man, more stripes you bare, glory seeker trends  
Bodies fill the fields I see  
The slaughter never ends"  
_The Irkens outnumbered the Planet Jackers three to one, but their vast numbers gained them little ground. For every Jacker killed so were two Irkens. The blasts from battle tanks blew everything and everyone near the impact to pieces. Fatalities from flying debris and well aimed lasers littered the terrain as far as the eye could see. Cries of perseverance and wails of agony were deafened by artillery fire. Both forces pressed forward, neither relenting.

_"Soldier boy, made of clay  
Now an empty shell  
Twenty one, only son  
But he served us well  
Bred to kill, not to care  
Do just as we say  
Finished here, greetings death  
He's yours to take away  
Back to the front  
You will do what I say, when I say  
Back to the front  
You will die when I say, you must die  
Back to the front  
You coward  
You servant  
You blind man"  
_With a heavy overhand thrust of her ax, Drah split an attacking Jacker's skull in two. Another Jacker lunged at her from the left, but he met his end by way of Brab's lance. In turn, Drah tucked and rolled between Brab's legs and gutted a Jacker sneaking in from behind her general. The warmongering lovers did not pause to exchange thanks. There would be time for that _after _their troops successfully took the planet.

"_Why, am I dying?  
Kill, have no fear  
Lie, live off lying  
Hell, hell is here"  
_The battle raged on, more and more slain bodies fell to the ground with each passing second. Still neither side seemed to be gaining any ground. The fight was already beginning to take its toll on the courageous High infantry general and his beloved Lieutenant. With their morale wavering, Brab and Drah struggled to keep up their stamina.

Suddenly the ground shook. It was faint at first, but the quakes became larger and closer. Then a miraculous image came into sight.

Torhna himself astride his armored meat thirsty hogulous, held aloft his legendary sword, Seris Strorsser as he stampeded into battle. A tear of hope trickled down Drah's cheek as the hogulous bucked. Tallest Torhna dug his heels into his beast's side, signaling it to attack.

Within seconds Torhna penetrated the front line, leaving a straight path for his reinforcements. The Planet Jackers fired at Torhna and his war beast, but the blasts reflected off his shield and the hogulous's armor. Torhna trampled through the Jacker troops, crushing hundreds beneath the massive hoofs of the hogulous. Those foolish or unfortunate enough to stand the way of the beast found themselves impaled on its horns or ground up in its fangs.

Torhna fought most gallantly, carving Jackers in two like dinner biscuits with his mighty blade. He was unstoppable! Or so it seemed. Soon the Planet Jacker Warlord, Ugh Ahk, managed to organize his troops against the rampaging hogulous and the Irken enemy who steered it. They closed in on the sides, using cables to entangle the hogulous's legs. The Hogulous roared as it toppled over and landed with a ground shaking _**thud**_. Torhna was thrown from his saddle into a circle of Ugh Ahk's personal sentinels.

The Jackers quickly hogtied the beast, impaling it with taser javelins. Torhna jumped to its rescue, beheading any Jacker who dared try to stop him, but they quickly outnumbered him. They tried to wrestle his sword and shield from him, but Torhna held on strong.

"Hold it down!" A Jacker commander yelled to his comrades as they attempted to keep the hogulous still. He raised his blaster, aiming for the beast's skull. "I'll put a laser through its head!"

Torhna outstretched his hand in protest, but he was powerless to help his carnivorous steed.

The Jacker fired, but the hogulous rolled on its side at the last second, pulled itself to its hoofs and raced off, dragging six or seven Jackers with it. Now unconcerned with the hogulous, the Jackers yanked Torhna to his feet and dragged him towards the rear where warlord Ugh Ahk stood, awaiting his chance to face the "Almighty" Tallest in person.

"We captured him, most feared and ruthless Ugh Ahk." A Jacker trooper announced, saluting his warlord proudly.

"Bring him forward." Ugh Ahk ordered in a deep, gravely voice.

Ugh Ahk's underlings shoved Torhna towards him. The tallest immediately regained his stance and raised his sword. In turn Ugh Ahk activated the circular saw equipped to his gauntlet. The opposing rulers engaged in a brief stare down, circling one another. Torhna took the first step forward. Ugh Ahk's soldiers raised their blasters to Torhna, but their warlord motioned for them to stand down.

"Idiots! Don't waste the charging cells! He is but one Irken! There are thousands left to kill! This one is **mine**. Now go!"

They withdrew and rushed off to fight the oncoming Irken troops as ordered.

"You were foolish to join your subjects in battle. You will perish with them." Ugh Ahk cracked a twisted razor toothed grin beneath his helmet. "My people shall feed this planet to our ravenous sun with your corpse on it." He chuckled. "Unless of course you surrender to me now. Then perhaps you can return to your empire, if your troops do not behead you in shame. What do you say, Torhna?"

Torhna had only one response for the ogre-like creature. He swung Seris Strorsser. Reflexes sharp, Ugh Ahk raised his arm, repelling the blade.

A duel to the death commenced. Steel against steel, strength against strength. Nimble and highly skilled with the legendary blade tailor forged for a tallest, Torhna waved Seris Strorsser with immaculate skill and precision. But the blade that had pierced straight through the standard armor of Ugh Ahk's pawns only scratched the Warlord's impenetrable battle gear.

Torhna raised his shield, blocking yet another swipe of Ugh Ahk's circular blade. Briefly knocked off balance, Ugh Ahk recoiled. With a heavy grunt, Torhna lunged forward, driving his sword down upon his opponent. Ugh Ahk caught the sword in his blade. The motor in his gauntlet squealed as Torhna pressed harder and harder, determined to deal a death blow, but tried as he might, he could not overpower the hulking Jacker. Ugh Ahk laughed as he swatted Torhna aside, disarming him.

Torhna landed face first in the dust. His sword landed blade down a few yards before him with a _clang_. He crawled after it, but Ugh Ahk leapt at him. Torhna dodged his circular blade just in time and jumped to his feet, but Ugh Ahk struck again, this time slicing a deep gash through his arm. Torhna grimaced in agony, clutching his wound. He ignored the pain and recovered his sword. Armed, but Still wounded, it was only a matter of time before Ugh Ahk's blade made second contact, this time in Torhna's side.

The saw sliced deep into his squeedly spooch. Torhna backed away, fiery red eyes fading dull and skin turning ghostly pale. Feeling confident, Ugh Ahk moved in for the kill. "Today you **die**, Irken bastard!" He raised his circular blade high, but Torhna was the swifter. With his final breath, he jabbed his sword into Ugh Ahk's exposed flesh beneath his jaw. The blade penetrated straight through his skull.

Torhna stepped aside, allowing ugh Ahk to collapse dead. The triumphant tallest smiled beneath his black skull-faced mask. He had won the duel. It was only a matter of time before his army won the battle, but he knew he would not live to see it. Blood poured from his wounds like a fountain. In seconds he bled to death and collapsed atop the fallen Jacker warlord, victorious.

The Colossus stared in horror as Drah lay before him in the fetal position, shaking violently on the cold steel floor. Hyperventilating, her lavander eyes rolled back in her head as she muttered incoherently. Quivering himself, Colossus knelt beside her and nudged her shoulder. "Come back!" he begged, whispering as he stroked her cheek. "Come back to me!"

His deep voice echoed off the walls of her battle-scarred mind, but it was his touch that managed to pull her back to reality. Her breathing steadied as she wearily sat upright. She looked about, finally able to recognize her true surroundings.

"There was no time to search for Torhna. We had to fight to save our own skin. Brab never dropped his guard for an instant! The battle continued for nearly two days before the Planet Jackers finally retreated. We celebrated until a recon scout discovered Torhna's body rotting beyond the oasis." She continued as if she had only paused to clear her throat. "We returned home victorious, but tallestless. I wept for him." She admitted. "As did Brab and all his soldiers…The measuring began the second Torhna was confirmed dead. Kalb was crowned the next Tallest. Brab protested Kalb's inauguration. He accused Kalb of negligence in battle. All of Torhna's generals and political advisors refused to serve him. He charged us with treachery and imprisoned all of us- tortured us for weeks, but still we refused to salute him, so he killed us…all of us…except me…It would have been to lenient a punishment to let me die with my beloved. Instead, he beheaded him as I watched, helpless to act." Drah looked to Colossus. "You…you remind me SO much of Brab."

At a loss for words, Colossus drooped his antennae in homage to this Brab and Torhna. It pained him to know other good Irkens suffered by Kalb's crewel hand. He pulled her to her feet, his massive hands engulfed hers entirely.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"Having fun in there?"

Colossus glared at the stocky Blood Sport brother. He would not soon forget how he and his wheezing counterpart treated Drah.

"What are you staring at, punk?" Lurr stood on the other side of the laser bars wearing an amused smirk. "Looks like the new meat has recovered."

"Not quite." Drah corrected him. "He still needs a few days to-"

"Eh, he looks well enough to me." Lurr interrupted and deactivated their prison cell. "Come on, new meat." He motioned for Colossus to follow. "Allow me to give you a tour."

Colossus looked to Drah. She gave him a reassuring nod. Colossus took a breath of confidence before exiting his cell. Lurr led the way while Colossus and Drah marched behind. "Don't venture too close to the other cells." Lurr cautioned him, whispering.

Colossus peeked inside the other prison cells. Inside nasty looking Irkens and other alien species he did not recognize sat, glaring back at him.

"Don't be fooled by their lax demeanor. Ress and I have taught these brutes to fear as well as fight." Lurr boasted. "In there, they are nothing but mindless drones clinging to existence, but put any one of them in the ring and they go into right kill mode." He lunged at one of the cells. The gladiator slaves jumped against the wall, cowering in fear of him. Lurr laughed. "I swear, Drah. You must be the last warrior here with any spirit left in 'em. Were it not for you and Su Garh, I would grow completely board out of my skull."

She scowled at him. "Can't say it's been my pleasure keeping you occupied."

"As refreshing as it is to oversee a gladiator with such vigor, Drah, remember this. I have broken stronger Irkens than you and one day I will break you too." Lurr cracked a lewd grin then walked off the nearest elevator.

Colossus balled his fist and began to walk after him, but Drah held him back, shaking her head in disapproval. Colossus gritted his teeth, but albeit begrudgingly, did as she wished. He crammed himself into the elevator with Drah and Lurr. Finally the elevator stopped and the door opened. Colossus squeezed out. Drah urged him to keep moving. They walked through a long, dimly lit archway. At the other end Colossus entered an enormous room filled from bottom to domed top with empty bleachers. Below the bleachers was a large octagon stage- no, a ring encased in a rusty chain link cage.

"Down there is where you will fight." Lurr informed him. "Not very impressive when its empty." He admitted. "But the Bludgeon Stadium is packed to the brim with gambling spectators every night. I warn you, newbie. Our audience demands entertainment. Fail to put up a good fight, and they go insane."

Colossus leaned over the balcony. He inspected the ring closely. Despite janitorial drone maintenance, the arena was blemished with spilled blood, impact dents and various other signs of past struggles. Drah placed a comforting hand over his. "Do not show fear. I cannot protect you down there. I can only try to prepare you."

"Come!" Lurr ordered, motioning for Colossus to follow once again. "You are not ready for the real deal yet. First, we have to whip you into shape…"

Taat nudged Scoodge. "Why'd you stop?"

"You look bored." Scoodge replied.

"Oh no. I- I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?" Zim inquired.

Taat fidgeted with the tips of his glove. "Seris Strorsser- The Sun Slasher…" He translated. "I've heard of that sword. It was an imperial artifact passed on from Tallest to Tallest made from a really strong metal called mightarn. Ancient warriors forged weapons and war machines and stuff from mightarn because its fairly light weight and it can cut through most other metals, but we completely depleted our mightarn sources over eight thousand years ago. After the mightarn mines dried up Tallest Sav spent millions converting them to hospitals and battle tank testing sites."

Zim and Scoodge stared at Taat in complete shock. History was not the smeet's forte by a long shot. Out of the three of them, Taat was the least diligent in their studies.

"Ho-how did you know all that?" Scoodge asked, cocking his head.

"I snuck into the faculty lounge a few semesters back to watch an interview one of the elite announcers was having with Blood Sport champion, Gurkahk." Taat explained. "Well, Gurkahk isn't a champion anymore. He got his throat ripped out by a barbed whip chain during last week's match. Oh man! You should have seen-" Taat shook his head, forcing his mind to focus. "Anyways, Gurkahk was talking about how in Blood Sport, the gladiators are only allowed to use primitive weapons and went on about mightarn and which weapons were forged from it and stuff. He also mentioned Seris Strorsser and how it was the longest blade forged in Irken history. Three and half feet, if I remember right. But according to him, Seris Strorsser was last wielded by Tallest Zarat who lost in during the battle for Davastis-"

"During which Irk conquered the planet over thirty years before the start of the Irken/ Planet Jacker war which is where this story begins." Scoodge added, rubbing his chin in thought.

Taat raised a brow. "So according to Tyz's little story here, the control brains reprogrammed the birthing factory data core to completely rewrite our planet's time line some time after the end of Tallest Zarat's reign and the beginning of Tallest Miyuki's reign. Why?"

Zim crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know, but to be honest…It wouldn't surprise me if all this _is _true." He hated to admit. "But I'm still not convinced. There's still too many holes in the Colossus story."

"There does seem to be some small element of truth to it, but I'm still not convinced either." Scoodge sighed. "Well, there's only one way to figure this out…"

a/n: Disposable Hero is by Metallica. The beat and momentum of the song probably fits Drah's war flashback better than the actual lyrics. Introduced a fan character out of nowhere. Hope that doesn't irritate anybody. Taat is actually my first Invader Zim fan character. I came up with him when I was nine or ten (and as mary sue-ish as he appears now, believe me he was 10000xs that when I first created him). Never actually used him in a fanfic before, but I got the wild hair to revive his character. Still suck at writing action and battle sequences. Bleh. Hope you enjoyed anyways.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Fry Lady

Lurr stopped before a massive doorway framed by a gothic arch studded with steel spikes. He flashed Colossus a wicked grin. "Welcome to the gymnasium, Meat."

_**"Bio signature required for access"**_ The computer requested.

Lurr turned his back to the door. A laser traced the surface of his pak. The scan ended with an approving **ding**.

_**"Signature recognized. Welcome Ring Master, Lurr."**_

_"Freedom is just a breath away  
Will you live to see the day  
As the heat intensifies  
You start to choke, your insides fry"  
_The bolted locks automatically unhinged themselves and the door inched open. Behind it was a torture chamber larger and more sinister than Kalb's personal laboratories by ten fold.

In the hot stagnant air of the gymnasium dozens of gladiator slaves, beaten, scarred and clothed in shredded rags endlessly labored over weight benches and various exorcise equipment Colossus couldn't even begin to identify. Task masters armed and masked shouted for them to lift and pull at the top of their squeedly spooches. Other small units of slaves breathlessly ran an obstacle course of barbed wire, beds of nails, fire and swinging pendulum blades.

_"Seizure now sets in  
Torture will begin"  
_Colossus watched helplessly as a task master ripped the flesh of a fallen gladiator's lower back and sides with a scorpion whip (a punishment he was all too familiar with). Task masters marched between rows upon rows of slaves doing pushups and sit ups until the plates on their paks flickered.

_"Twisted bodies lie  
Waiting now to die"  
_"You want to recharge?" A task master taunted before kicking a winded slave in the temple. "Then pick up the pace!"

_"Choke on it - as your tongue goes down  
Choke on it - death is all around"  
_Worse off still were the gladiators assigned to the mats. They wrestled one another, sparing bare knuckled. They punched and kicked like programmed automatons until blood gushed from their freshly formed wounds. When an opponent fell, defeated, the victor was expected to crack his skull open with a war hammer. If the victor failed to do so within ten seconds, a task master stepped onto the matt, and crushed both the skulls of the victor and the loser.

_"Screaming fills your frenzied mind  
No way out no more time"  
_Gladiators that had blacked out from exhaustion or who were simply too injured to continue training were whipped and thrown into carts hauled from one end of the gymnasium to the other by enslaved Vortian bucks. Weights were strapped to the Vortians' legs and backs, further increasing the weight load. Task Masters sat at the head of the carts, cracking whips against the back of their heads.

_"Example made for those to see  
Your freedom turned to misery"  
_Colossus trembled in his combat boots. It was too painful to watch. The urge to flee overwhelmed him, but Drah took his hand and held him still.

The gladiator slaves took one look at Colossus and froze. Their eyes widened with shock and dread. How could any of them hope to stand a chance against that hulking brutein the ring?

_"Word is all around  
Of what they have found  
Lesson to be learned  
You will not return"  
_"What is the meaning of this?" A deep, yet feminine voice echoed through the gymnasium. "I ordered no one to stop!"

"_Choke on it - as your tongue goes down"_

"Su Garh!" Lurr beckoned. "New recruit!"

A female Irken, almost as thick as she was tall marched out of the torment and madness. Over the black and red armor that hugged her rounded curves elegantly she wore a starch white apron held up by spiked shoulder plates. In her powerful gauntleted arms she carried what looked to be a giant spatula edged with a razor sharp blade. She saluted Lurr, perking her long, thick antennae. "Greetings, Ring Master. And you too, Drah." She regarded the Bludgeon champion with a respectful nod. Drah saluted in return.

"I trust you aren't handing me over another batch of weakli-" Su Garh looked to Colossus. Her bright pink eyes bulged from her round emerald face. "Where on Irk did you find _this_ one?"

"That is none of your concern!" Lurr snapped. "New meat, I'd like to introduce you to our business associate, Fry Lady Su Garh of the Patisserion Sweets and Snacks franchise. She is BloodSport's top sponsor and distributor of snacks. She is also BloodSport's…" Lurr paused to think of the correct term. "Head physical trainer. In the gymnasium you will answer to her or suffer the consequences."

"Ring masters Ress and Lurr have given me permission to train him personally- under your supervision of course, my Fry Lady." Drah informed her.

"Have they now? Interesting…" Su Garh circled Colossus, inspecting him from antennae to heel. She held her spatula blade beneath his chin, forcing him to stand perfectly straight. "State your name, worm." She ordered.

"Don't bother. This one isn't much of a talker." Lurr sneered.

"He suffered a bad head injury before his arrival." Drah stated in his defense.

Su Garh shrugged indifferently. "Good. If he doesn't talk, he doesn't talk back." She gave Colossus an approving nod. "He has potential. Can he fight?"

"He took on high general Toog unarmed and crawled away alive." Lurr answered.

"Very interesting. A test then." Su Garh turned to the gladiator slaves. "Who among you will assist the new recruit in demonstrating his skills to me?"

The gladiators remained silent, looking to the floor timidly. A scowl formed on Su Garh's soft round face. "I repeat! Who among you will face him in combat? NOW!"

Again, no one answered. "Pathetic!" The fry lady cried, banging the handle of her spatula against the floor. "Cowards! Worthless cowards; every one of you!"

"If they won't fight, I won't fight either."

Everyone stared at Colossus in shock. Su Garh glared back at him. "I advise you to keep your noise tube **shut**, boy!"

"They did not harm me. I will not harm them. You can't ask me to"

Drah begged him to shush, but Su Garh yanked her away. "I can and I **will**." She corrected him. "You want **harm**?" She motioned for everyone to clear the sparing mat then stomped over to a random Gladiator and yanked him to his feet by his antennae. "Choose a weapon. **You** will fight the new recruit!"

The slave shook his head no in protest. "Please, my fry lady. I-I-I can't! Look at the size of him!"

"Have I taught you nothing? Size alone does not make a warrior! It takes skill, discipline and will power- of which all of you vermin lack! How **dare **you shame me in front of your ring leader?" Su Garh threw him to his knees. She pulled two fork-like instruments from her apron, twirled them in her fingers and drove them deep into the throat of the cowering slave. With four quick, carefully precise stabs, she punctured his jugular vain and plucked his eyeballs from his head like a pair of skewered mushrooms. The gladiator slave fell to the floor dead, blood still gushing from his throat and empty eye sockets.

Su Garh breathed a disappointed sigh as she pried the eye balls from her twin forks and slipped them back in her apron. "If none of you have the courage to face him, so be it. As punishment for your cowardice no one will receive rations or a pak charge before tomorrow's match." She removed her apron and handed it along with her spatula to a task master before turning to Colossus. "It is settled. You will fight **me**. Show us what you got."

Colossus shook his head no. "I will not." he repeated. "I'm a killer, but I killed only in self-defense."

In the blink of an eye, Su Garh leapt from the mat and lashed out at him, landing a solid punch right to his torso. "THEN DEFEND YOURSELF!" She cried, landing an uppercut to his jaw immediately after.

Everyone in the stadium backed away, giving them plenty of space. Drah covered her mouth, barely able to watch. The task masters and gladiators remained silent, keeping their eyes locked onto the fight.

Colossus stumbled back from the sheer force of impact. Su Garh's round features and dense skeletal structure were misleading. Despite her bulk, her reflexes were lighting sharp. Her limbs cut through the air like a stealth cruiser, applying her full weight into each blow effortlessly. Colossus raised his hand to block an oncoming punch, but she slapped his hand away, giving her left fist a clear path for solid jab to the ribs.

Colossus took another good ten or twelve punches, still refusing to throw one of his own. He hoped Su Garh would tire herself out, but his strategy proved ineffective. Already he was battered to the point of collapse while Su Garh showed no outward signs of fatigue or relenting.

Left with no other option, Colossus kicked her in the chest. The second his foot made contact she grabbed his ankle and twisted his foot a near 360 degrees. The rest of body twisted with it and Colossus fell to the floor. He rolled out from under her before she body slammed him. Su Garh recoiled, jumping to her feet. As she anticipated, Colossus struck her from behind. She grabbed hold of his arms, shifted her weight and slung him over her shoulders as if he was a pillow.

Colossus slammed against the floor flat on his back. This time, Su Garh landed her body slam, driving her elbow into his chest pak. He could feel his heart stop beating for a split second. Pain shot through his chest and branched out to his neck and limbs. Su Garh folded his legs over his chest, pinning Colossus to the floor.

"One…Two…Three…" Lurr counted.

Colossus struggled to kick free, but Su Garh pressed harder, constricting his squeedly spooch. Too weak to protest further, he allowed his body to go limp, accepting defeat.

"Eight…Nine…TEN!"

Colossus gasped for breath as Su Garh released him from her submission hold. He remained on the floor flat on his back, struggling to fight off the pain. Lurr pulled the triumphant fry lady to her feet. "The winner, Fry Lady Su Garh!" he declared.

Su Garh raised her fist in the air victoriously as Lurr and her task maters cheered her name. Wasting no time or breath to gloat, she pulled Colossus to his feet.

"Good match." She commended him, smiling warmly as if they had just engaged in a friendly thumb wrestling contest. "You certainly can take a punch, but you are clumsy and slow. That weakness can be easily exploited by smaller, faster Irkens. Believe me, I learned that the hard way during my youth. But have no fear. Drah and I will home in on your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses- or kill you in the process." She patted him on the back. "I will make a warrior of you yet." She saluted him and with that left to fetch her apron and spatula.

"Nothing to see here, maggots! Get back to work!" She roared at the gladiator slaves. They immediately returned to their exorcises, straining themselves to move faster and faster the closer she stomped towards them. "I want to see you sweat! I want to see you **bleed**!"

Colossus hung his head in shame. His attempt at a peaceful protest managed to get him and the other gladiators hurt.

The slow rhythmic sound of two gloved hands clapping together caught his attention. Colossus looked to his side. There Lurr continued to clap for him, chuckling condescendingly. "Not bad…" The grinning ring master commended him. "A little to quick, and a bit one sided for my liking, but it was an amusing fight. I have to admit, I'm much more confident in you now than I was a few days ago. But in BloodSport you must kill. You weren't even willing to fight. I want to see a killer instinct in you very soon. Don't disappoint me."

"It's his first day. Give him a break." Drah snapped.

Lurr laughed. "I'll give him over two hundred breaks if he gives Su Garh any more lip. See that your pupil stays in line, Drah. I'd hate to see a perfectly good specimen like him go to waste." Lurr turned and walked away. "You two are dismissed for now. Guards!"

Two task masters immediately raced over and held a taser lance to Drah and Colossus's backs.

"Return these two to their cell." Lurr ordered. "Ress or I will have you bring them back here for further training when we see fit."

"Yes ring master." The task masters parroted before jabbing Colossus and Drah. "You heard him, slaves! Move along!"

After the task masters threw them back in their cells and reactivated the laser bars, Drah proceeded to give Colossus the scolding of a lifetime.

She paced back and forth, face contorted in a hideous scowl. "How could you have been so **stupid**? What possessed you to undermine Su Garh like that? Do you realize what you did back there? You not only insulted one of the deadliest soldiers on irk, but a thousand generations of tradition! Fry Lords and Ladies have not been idolized since the beginning of Irken warfare for no good reason! Only the bravest and ruthless of soldiers are permitted to prepare snacks for the tallest and his military! Su Garh has been honored with over a hundred metals for valor on the battlefield and a hundred more for ferocity! She could have snapped your neck like a twig! Only an **idiot **would challenge a Fry Lady of her caliber untrained!"

Colossus slouched lower on his cot, cowering before the enraged gladiator. He was struck by an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu as Drah continued lecture him. "I did not challenge Su Garh!" He reminded her, pouting as he clutched his re-broken ribs. "She challenged me!"

"Because you had to open your gigantic mouth! You should have just fought one of the gladiators. Even armed, not a one of them could inflict the damage Su Garh can!"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what YOU want! It only matters what Ress, Lurr and the spectators want! Do you know what they want? They want bloodshed! They will get it one way or another! It makes no difference to them if you enjoy killing, just so long as someone dies! If you're smart, you will play their game start hurting people before they really hurt you!"

"That strategy has worked so well for you, has it?"

Drah gritted her teeth, holding back her balled fist and the temptation to throw them. "I am still alive!" She hissed. "That reason alone proves fighting is the wiser choice!"

"How? Why?" Colossus asked sternly. "Why must someone die for someone else to live? Why must we suffer for others to feel joy?"

Drah paused for a brief moment. "Because…That is nature. That is life, not only here in BloodSport, but in all the universe."

Colossus hunched forward, antennae drooping. "If that is all there is to life, then my life is not worth fighting for."

Drah slapped him across the face, leaving an enflamed hand print on his cheek. "Don't say that! Don't EVER say that!" Her expression softened slightly as tears formed in her pale purple eyes. "Somehow, I lost you and you have been returned to me. I won't lose you again."

Colossus looked away. He had not meant to make her cry.

Drah gently turned his chin to face her. "It is a hard life here." She admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry Lurr put you through all that. I warn you though, it's only going to get worse, but I'll be here beside you the whole time. We'll get through this, I promise." She cracked a weak smile. "The bright side is you made a good first impression with Su Garh. Very few gladiators here have managed to do that."

Colossus did not feel privileged. "I hate this place." He lamented. "I'm no better off here than where I was before. We have to escape."

"Shhh!" Drah hissed. She looked around, making damn sure no one overheard him. "Don't ever say that word aloud. You never know who's listening and who will squeal. For now, just **please **focus on surviving. It's not so bad once you prove you're champion material. Win the audience over and they might even begin to treat you like you're Irken again. As for escaping…forget that for now. The elite has abandoned us. She will not let us return to her."

Colossus exhaled a heavy sigh. Hope was the one thing he desperately craved right then.

Drah climbed onto the cot and allowed Colossus to rest his head on her lap. He curled up in a ball, soaking in the warmth of her fingertips as she stroked his antennae. He clung to her as if her touch was the only comfort he would ever feel again. By the looks of his situation, it very well might be.

Meanwhile…

A young, lanky Irken trembled on his knees, blinded by a sack that had been placed over his head.

Why had The Widower's royal guards dragged him away from his post? What had he done wrong? What crime could they possibly accuse him of? Iac had a spotless record of service. The young sentinel patrolled Irks capital day in and day out, upholding the empire's laws with unconditional devotion! Tallest Kalb could not execute him! Then again…he most certainly could. On a whim actually.

Iac wanted to cry. He could sense his last moments of existence slipping away with each hyperventilated breath. "I'm too young to die…" He whimpered ever so quietly. "Please, _please _don't kill me. Not now. Not-"

Then the sack was ripped away and he could see…The room was pitch black beside the soft glow of many red, purple and green eyes clumped together on three large separately suspended masses. They stared at the confused and frightened sentinel intently.

"_Arise_." They ordered in unison.

Iac climbed to his feet. "Who- w-what are you? Where am I?"

"Officer Iac; elite sentinel of the capital sector patrol." Another voice addressed him from the shadows. Tallest Kalb hovered out from behind one of the multi-eyed masses, white robes clearly visible through the blackness. "My control brains measured you at 5 foot one inch. Is that correct, soldier?" He asked as a formality. The control brains never measured incorrectly.

"Y-y-yes my tallest." Iac confirmed, saluting respectfully. He could barely hear his voice over the heavy beating of his heart. "I-I-if I may ask, my Tallest, w-why have you summoned me?"

Kalb smiled warmly. "I know what you're thinking, and you are not in trouble. Far from it. You are being promoted to high officer. I simply ordered my royal guards to bring you to the control brain chamber so they may re-encode your pak and finalize your promotion into the elite data core. Terribly sorry for the, uh, rough treatment, but for security reasons, I could not allow you to see the location of the control brain chamber. Strict measures had to be taken."

"I understand." Iac quivered, no longer in fear, but with great joy and relief. A promotion? Him? Iac never believed it would happen. The wonderful realization he would live lifted his spirit to a near euphoria and he laughed.

Kalb raised a brow at him. "What is so funny, soldier?" He growled irritably.

Iac forced a sober expression on his face. "Nothing, my tallest, nothing at all." He replied, coughing his laughter away. He saluted Kalb again, magenta eyes beaming with gratitude. "A promotion! I am honored, my tallest! But… What happened to high officer Swat?"

Kalb scowled down at him. "He asked too many questions."

Iac's antennae drooped. "I see…" He made a mental note not to keep his mouth shut tight.

Kalb smiled. He loved to see obedience in his inferiors. "Let it begin!"

Two long chords shot out from beneath the control brains and latched onto the minor plates on Iac's pak. The chords lifted him off the floor, feeding a blue electric pulse to his spine.

_"Officer Iac of the elite Sentinels, you will now be re-encoded._" Control brain Subli announced.

"_From this day forth you shall serve the Irken empire as High Officer Iac._" Tah added.

"_You have authority over all sentinels patrolling the streets within the boarders of Titanolis. Your superiors now consist of the royal commandoes and Almighty Tallest Kalb_." Wyvi concluded.

Iac grinned with delight. He had never possessed so much authority before, but he thoroughly enjoyed the idea. The chords detached themselves from his pak and he dropped to the floor, barely landing on his feet.

"_The promotion is complete. Congratulations._" The control brains declared in unison.

Iac stood, shoulders out and antennae perked confidently. "I can't thank you enough, my Tallest! You won't regret your decision." He vowed. "I'm going to return to my post right away and"  
"Hold on there." Kalb placed a two fingered hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. "I'm pleased to see you're so eager, soldier, but with this promotion comes a mission."

"Name it. I'll do anything you command, my Tallest."

Kalb chuckled. "That's what I like to hear." He stepped aside, allowing a holographic profile of the Colossus to appear before Iac. "Your first assignment as high officer is to assemble the elite sentinels and search every corner of irk for this creature." Kalb instructed, pointing to the projection. "Once you have located your target, subdue it and return it to the capital fortress. This mission is top secret. You and your sentinels are not to breathe a word of this to anyone or else…" Kalb swiped his hand through the projection, deleting it from sight.

Iac nodded. "I shall not fail you, my Tallest. We will hunt it down and find…W-what is the name of our target?"

"It, high officer Iac." Kalb answered curtly. "That is the only name you need to know. Now, return to **your **base of operations and begin the search immediately." Kalb ordered, placing a strong emphasis on "your" that tickled Iac inside. "The reward starts at 120,000 monies for returning it to me alive, and 80,000 monies for returning it dead. For every week you keep me waiting I shall deduct 75 monies from your reward. If by the next moonless night sky you have failed to capture it, I will behead you personally. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, my Tallest." Iac gave him one final salute. "_It _is as good as captured. I will rip Irk inside out to find It if I have to."

Kalb nodded. "See that you do…"

a/n: "Choke On It" Is by Death. An ugly song for an ugly scene.

Slowly putting the puzzle pieces together. Colossus is finally starting to speak a little bit. I can't tell if that makes his character more or less appealing. From what I understand, there are two theories regarding the status of fry lords and ladies in Irken society; One being they are highly respected because of their height and their connection to snacks, which Irkens worship. The other being that Fry lords and ladies are frowned upon by Tallests and other higher ups in Irken society because they perceive their height and dominion over snacking as threatening. I prefer the first theory, simply because it would move my story along a bit easier. The BloodSport situation will lead us somewhere soon, I promise. Oh. And incase I did not make it clear, an Irken sentinel in my fanfic is meant to be an equivalent to a human police officer (but are allowed to be more aggressive towards law breakers). Thanks for reading. Please, more reviews. Critiques are always useful. =)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Glimpse

"Get up!" Su Garh ordered.

Colossus stared up at her, aching, bruised muscles refusing to pull his bulk upright. He, Drah and that accursed Fry Lady had been in the gymnasium for hours for another "private lesson" and he had yet to land a punch. The armor Ress had given him did little good against Su Garh's power moves. Lumps formed on his arms and chest and his face swelled from the last beating. He prayed Su Garh would finally call it quits for the night, but he had no such luck.

She held her spatula to his throat. "I said GET UP!"

"Get up." Drah urged softly, but sternly.

Despite his pain and exhaustion Colossus struggled to stand. The moment both feet were planted flatly on the floor, Su Garh kicked them out from under him. "WRONG!" She cried, frustrated. "He refuses to concentrate!"

"Just be patient with him." Drah begged. "He _can_ fight. I know he can."

Su Garh grunted. "Can and will are two different things! I'm through being patient!" She knelt down and yanked him to his feet by his throat. "To Dirt with Lurr! I will not waste one more second of my time on you! Either fight me and win, or I'll shred you to ribbons!"

Colossus stumbled as Su Garh threw him back. He immediately crossed his forearms in front of him to block an oncoming punch.

"Better" She commended him as she high kicked him from the left, which he blocked as well. "You can't dodge forever. Fight!"

Colossus did manage to block a few more times, but Su Garh quickly caught on to his defense tactics and sucker punched him in the jaw.

Colossus managed to stay on his feet. That last blow to the head sparked an overwhelming rage within him. He caught Su Garh by her fist and twisted it behind her back. "STOP HITTING ME!" he roared, grip tightening.

Su Garh grinded her teeth, resisting the urge to cry out as Colossus slowly popped her arm out of its socket. "There's only one way to stop me, boy! You know what to do."

Colossus grunted as she elbowed him in the ribs and slipped out of his hold. She moved in on him, but he landed a quick, hard backhand across her face, sending her toppling over backwards.

Colossus wasted no time. He landed a left punch

Then a right punch

a knee to the stomach

another right punch

Upper cut

Roundhouse kick

And so on rapid fire, until he had her pak against the wall, and still he continued to strike.

Su Garh attempted to block, but Colossus bulldozed right through her. Drah watched from the sideline, face aglow with hope and anticipation. Her beloved pupil was well on his way to a flawless victory. Never before had she seen Su Garh bleed. Until this point, she didn't believe it possible, but her pupil managed to do it. She felt so proud of him and yet so frightened at the same time. Should he win, Su Garh would declare him fit to fight. Ress and Lurr would then throw him in the Bludgeon Stadium where she could not protect him.

Colossus held Su Garh above the ground by her throat with one hand and continuously punched her between the eyes with the other. She used what little strength she had left to kick him in the crotch.

Colossus dropped her, but his anger overpowered the crippling pain between his legs and kneed her in the stomach before she even hit the ground. Su Garh collapsed to the floor, winded beneath Colossus's feet. He barely noticed her defeat and continued to strike at the wall, snarling like a caged animal.

Drah raced over and pulled him away. "STOP! You won! You won…"

Panting heavily, but becoming calmer, Colossus looked to the floor where Su Garh lay motionless. His rage faded almost as quickly as it appeared. Shocked and remorseful, he knelt beside the fallen Fry Lady. With a quivering hand he reached out to nudge her. Su Garh awoke, grabbed his wrist and slammed him against the wall.

Colossus fell to his knees as Su Garh stood. "Excellent." She offered him a hand. "I knew you had it in you."

Colossus recoiled. "You look hurt."

Su Garh flashed him a disapproving frown. "That does not concern you. Your pain is my pleasure and my pain yours." She yanked him to his feet. "What did you time him at, Drah?"

"One minute, 49 seconds." Drah replied. "Not bad for his size."

"Not bad at all." Agreed Su Garh. "The exorcizes are improving his stamina, balance and focus. Though I'm still concerned with his lack of aggression." She turned to Colossus. "You are too hesitant. The first punch may determine victory or defeat. We will continue to work on this. Now I feel we may introduce you to the next step. What do you know about weapons?"

"I don't like them."

Su Garh smirked. "You might want to start. They're about to become your best friends."

Colossus exhaled a quick sigh. This was all so pointless, but he was given no choice in the matter. He had to comply. "Yes, my fry lady."

"Good boy. Drah!"

"Coming!" Drah left for a split second and returned with a hover rack lined with enough sharp, jagged and blunt objects to make the strongest stomachs turn with dread. She stopped in front of Colossus and removed one of the sinister looking instruments from the rack.

A gleam of light flickered off the curved blade. It made Colossus shiver. "What is that?"

"This is a scythe- a simple, non electronic hook blade scythe. My weapon of choice." Drah twirled the handle around in her palm. "Can you see why?"

Colossus shook his head no.

With a horizontal swing, Drah swung the blade at him, missing his torso by an eighth of an inch. Colossus jumped back, startled.

"Most of the gladiators will use a weapon like this against you." Drah warned, lowering her scythe. "In skilled hands, a long handle and a sharp blade will level the playing field against a taller opponent. The hook is designed to grab limbs and rip flesh." I will teach you to use this and any other weapon you can imagine." She tossed Colossus her weapon and fetched another.

Colossus tested the weight of the scythe. It was incredibly light, obviously designed for a much smaller Irken. Either way, he did not like the way it felt in his palms. The cold texture and sharp angular edges unnerved him. "I cannot fight with this."

"Of course you can't. You can barely hold that thing correctly, let alone use it to its full potential. Come." Su Garh led them over to a row of pillars beyond the obstacle course. Used, shredded targets and cloth dummies were strapped to the pillars and suspended by wires. "This area is for target practice. We will begin here."

"Allow me to demonstrate for him, my Fry lady." Drah screamed as she swung her scythe at a hanging dummy. Three blinding quick swipes of the blade and the dummy fell apart at the seams. Before a single scrap of fabric hit the floor, she beheaded the dummy with a forth and final swing.

Colossus stared in horror. He could only image what a scythe in Drah's hands could do (and has done) to a living, breathing Irken. He tried not to think about it.

Su Garh picked up the dismembered head and smiled. "So clean and precise. You make me jealous."

Drah saluted her, trying not to blush. "Thank you, my Fry Lady."

Su Garh looked to Colossus, pointing. "Now you try…"

Meanwhile; Several miles west of Titanolis

Iac held a sanitation drone by his uniform collar, shaking him violently. "Where is _it_? Where is _it _hiding?"

The sanitation drone quivered with fear, cheeks paling beneath the dirt and grime staining his skin. "There's nothing here but garbage! We're not hiding anything, officer; I swear!"

"The landfill is clear." Declared a lower ranking sentinel. "_It_ isn't here either."

"Drooch it!" Iac spat, throwing the sanitation drone aside. "Pull out, men! Search onward!"

Iac's sentinels immediately dropped what they were doing and began to crawl out of the landfill. Smelly, exhausted and aggravated, they evacuated the garbage dump, marching away in perfectly straight rows of ten.

"I thought for sure we would find _it_ there! Six hours of digging through filth and all we managed to do was delay a shipment of trash to Dirt!" Iac lamented.

"Perhaps _it_ fled Irk on one of the sanitation ships." One of Iac's underlings suggested. "There are a thousand export ships _it_ could have fled on. Maybe we should start searching on the neighboring planets."

"No!" Iac protested. "_It_ has no knowledge of language or transportation. Even if _it _did get the idea to flee Irk, _it_ is too large to slip onto a ship unnoticed and _it _could not ask a pilot for assistance. _It_'s somewhere on Irk! It has to be!"

"How do you know that for sure?"

"Because the Tallest told me, that's how! Would _you_ like to question the Widower yourself?"

The lesser sentinel shook his head. "No, no I wouldn't."

Iac nodded, glaring. "Thought so." He marched ahead in a huff.

His underling followed. "Sir, it has been weeks. We have searched **every **street, **every **hospital, **every **soldier and service drone apartment complex, sewer system, power generator, arcade, restaurant, laboratory, training site, gift shop, **every single** building in **every single** city on the planet and we have found no trace of _it_! There's nowhere left to look! We cannot go on like this! Most of us haven't recharged our paks or stop for a snack break in days!"

"You think I don't know this?" Iac hissed. He too was feeling the toll Kalb's mission had taken on him. Iac, a healthy soldier of 123 at the beginning of the investigation now looked to be a veteran of 470. His bright magenta eyes had grown dull with fatigue and obsession. Stress made it impossible for his body to retain weight and his metabolism began to feed away at his muscles for sustenance. "Morale is low. I understand that, but the Widower gave us a mission to carry out by the next moonless night and he **will not** accept failure! We must find _it_! We're running out of time! Do you understand that, officer? DO YOU?"

The lesser sentinel stared his commander with fear and pity. Iac had gone mad trying to locate this fugitive. _It _consumed Iac's every thought and impulse. Innocent, law abiding Irkens had been beaten, wounded and even killed for _accidentally _getting in the way of Iac's search, but no other sentinel had the authority to turn him in to the royal guards. This endless procedure of breaking, entering and ransacking left the entire elite sentinel force at wits end. He and his fellow sentinels contemplated mutiny against the newly appointed high officer, but they knew killing him would only evoke an unfathomably cruel punishment from Tallest Kalb.

"Speak, officer!"

"Yes, high officer Iac. I understand." He finally replied. "We shall return to base, evaluate what little information we gathered on _its_ whereabouts and begin another search from there."

"That is all we can do." Iac inhaled deeply to calm himself. Cooperation is all he asked of his fellow sentinels. Their compliance was the only thing left on Irk sustaining him. "Faster!" he ordered. "You have a purpose! Move like it!"

Despite the harsh conditions of their imprisonment, Blood Sport gladiators lead privileged lives for one reason and one reason only. They sleep. Unharmed, an Irken's pak will energize him for a lifetime. When injured, especially on a daily basis, the pak's heeling mechanisms fail to mend wounds the way natural sleep does. Every gladiator must sleep or die before they even step foot in the ring.

In their cells the gladiator slaves curled up on their cold, steel cots lost in deep sleep mode. Most gladiators often passed out the moment Su Garh dismissed them from their exorcises. Colossus and Drah were no exceptions.

It was not the most comfortable position, but Drah fell asleep sitting upright, allowing Colossus to rest his head on her lap. Their Aches and pains were numbed by the comforting rhythm of slow, steady breathing and their shared body heat. No gladiator was allowed such bliss for more than ten minutes however. The task masters patrolled the dungeons, delivering a loud wake up call.

"HEY!" A task master shouted, slamming his taser lance against the wall. "WAKE UP, YOU TWO! LOOK SHARP!"

The deafening _**clang clang clang **_ripped Colossus and Drah from their slumber. They stumbled over each other, struggling to stand to attention.

"Don't let me catch you dozing off again." The task master warned. "You, no name." He pointed to colossus. "Ress and Lurr have a little chore for you. Follow me and keep your hands to yourself."

Drah gave Colossus a reassuring nod. "Go on." She urged.

Colossus reluctantly approached the laser bars. The task master deactivated them and yanked him out of his cell. He prodded Colossus with his lance, sending a mild shock. "Move!"

Colossus marched forward, pausing a moment to look back at Drah.

Drah stared at him through the lasers helplessly. The task master shocked Colossus once again. "While I'm young!"

He lead Colossus to a section of the dungeons he had never been in before. The task master unlocked a gigantic bolted steel door then threw Colossus a shovel "The ring leaders said the battle beasts' cage need to be cleaned. You look like you have a strong back, so we designated you pooper scooper for the evening." He explained, chuckling at Colossus's expense.

Colossus peeked into the chamber, unable to see anything but shadows. His antennae drooped as a chorus of low growls echoed from the darkness.

"Don't worry. They've all been sedated. Watch out for the meat thirsty Hogulous though. Those things buck in their sleep. He zapped Colossus one last time, forcing him into the chamber.

Colossus turned for the door, but the task master slammed it shut in his face.

The stench of alien animal dung made his antennae curl. He looked around, making good and damn sure the creatures were in fact sedated before he made another step. He began to label each creature inwardly, using names and descriptions Drah and the other champions had given him.

He recognized the Hogulos by its bulky gnarled horns, the slaughtering rat person by his rounded ears and big teeth and the googore-hydra mite by its long, slimy tendrils. There were three or four other creatures Colossus did not recognize, but certainly feared. They were all fast asleep, securely chained to the wall.

He spotted a large hole in the center of the chamber, assumedly leading to the sewers below. Colossus kept his antennae flat against his head as he shoveled the piles of shit down the hole.

After a few minutes into his grueling task, Colossus noticed a slight breeze hit his back from up above. He looked up and spotted a large air vent above the slumbering Hogulous; perhaps big enough for him to crawl through.

Colossus hated the thought of leaving Drah behind in this horrible place, but he wanted so very badly to escape. There was a good chance the air vent led to dead end, but it was chance he was willing to take.

Carefully, silently Colossus tiptoed towards the Hogulous. He brushed his fingertips against its forehead, ready to run should the beast wake. It did not stir. Colossus applied more pressure, surprised by how soft the Hogulous's tawny hide was.

Once convinced the Hogulous would not wake, he used its horns to climb on its back and removed the grill from the air vent. He pulled himself up and began to crawl on his hands and knees through the tunnel.

The ventilation shafts proved to be a complex labyrinth, filled with dead ends, hazardous wiring, spinning fans and pathways too narrow for him to crawl through. Eventually a beam of light struck his eye and he crawled towards it as quickly as he could.

A grill blocked his path. Colossus pulled at it with all his strength, but failed to break it or even bend the bars. It was welded clean to the wall. He stared through it, desperate to catch a glimpse of the outside.

He could see a thin section of the street above. The vent must be close to the Bludgeon Stadium entrance, he thought, for a large line of Irkens gathered nearby. They chatted amongst themselves, eagerly awaiting entrance to that night's match.

"Hurry hurry hurry!" An announcing screen shouted as it hovered overhead. "It's carnage in the cage! Who will fall slaughtered and who will stand victorious? Find out tonight! Only two hundred seats left! Hurry hurry hurry!"

Colossus frowned. Drah was scheduled to fight tonight. He shuddered the thought of her dieing in a cage before all those strangers like some sacrificial Hogulous calf. He hated every Irken standing in that line. They were free, and they chose to use their freedom to watch someone he loved get killed. They did not deserve freedom.

A strange series of noises caught his attention through his thoughts of worry and sorrow. Colossus, like most Irkens of his generation had never heard anything like it. These noises danced through the air to his antennae harmoniously, shifting degrees in pitch and tone in a pattern that seemed to breathe a life all its own. They made his fingers strum the grid and his head bob to the beat. There was a second series of noises too; a banging that seemed to determine the speed and tempo of the first noise. It made his feet twitch and his hips pivot. These noises were the most beautiful noises he had ever heard. They were so beautiful they could not be described as noises. They were something different, something magical that inspired feelings of joy, amusement and motivation. They were…they were…He could not think of the word.

Colossus looked about, determined to find the source of these heavenly sounds. He spotted two smeets standing to the side of the line, halfway towards the alleyway. One was older, nearly an adult with big elliptical magenta eyes. He held a shiny red box-like object with a long bar protruding from one end. Wires stretched down the bar and connected to the center section of the box. He flicked the lower end of the wires with his left hand, stroking and plucking the upper end of the wires with his right. The other smeet, also magenta eyed, but much younger and smaller sat on a can, banging away at a pile of cylindrical objects with two plastic sticks. To Colossus's delight, they both put their hearts and soul into each note, and to his shock, neither of them had paks.

Colossus smiled at them. They looked so happy creating such beautiful sounds. He had never met an Irken capable of creating anything that didn't later destroy something, not even Drah.

The older one opened his mouth and began to speak with the sounds. No, not speak. The words he formed produced so much more passion and energy. His voice, though high, held a soothing quality that seemed to carry for miles. It overpowered the chatter of the crowd, determined to be heard.

"_We've got nothing to fear...but fear itself  
Not pain, not failure, not fatal tragedy  
Not the faulty units in this mad machinery  
Not the broken contacts in emotional chemistry_

_With an iron fist in a velvet glove  
We are sheltered under the gun  
In the glory game on the power train  
Thy kingdom's will be done_

_And the things that we fear are a weapon to be held against us…"_

An Irken waiting in line tossed his bag of popcorn at the older smeet. Others began to do the same, tossing wrappers, soda cans- anything that would sting or stain. The older smeet motioned for the younger one to keep playing.

He glanced down and noticed a pair of very large green-blue eyes staring up at him through the grid on the Bludgeon Stadium foundation.

Colossus forced himself to unfreeze and backed away. He did not believe the smeet would mention him to anybody, but he didn't want to risk being caught. The smeet seemed to dismiss him and continued, raising his voice, but making sure to stay in tune.

"_He's not afraid of your judgment  
He knows of horrors worse than your Hell  
He's a little bit afraid of dying  
But he's a lot more afraid of your lying_

_And the things that he fears are a weapon to be held against him…"_

Colossus recognized an existence of wisdom behind the smeet's beautiful words and sounds, but their exact meaning he could not decipher. He could only apply them to things he knew and experienced. Perhaps that's what he was meant to do. He listened intently, entranced. Sadly, he was only one.

"_Can any part of life be larger than life?  
Even love must be limited by time  
And those who push us down that they might climb  
Is any killer worth more than his crime?"_

"SHUT UP!" The others shouted, continuing to throw trash at them. "Get lost! Scram!"

The younger smeet began to cry, but still he drummed on. Colossus shed a tear for him. Why on Irk did those people want them to stop? They weren't hurting anybody. What were they doing wrong?

_"Like a steely blade in a silken sheath  
We don't see what they're made of  
They shout about love, but when push comes to shove  
They live for the things they're afraid of_

_And the knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against th-"_

"HALT!" A voice ordered from up the street.

"There're over there, officer!" A woman cried, pointing.

"Run!" The older smeet dropped the box-like object and snatched the younger smeet in his arms. He fled down the alleyway as quickly as his little booted feet could carry him.

A group of masked soldiers wielding taser daggers chased after them, screaming for them to halt.

Colossus cringed as the sound of electric bolts fired in the distance. He prayed the smeets escaped the elite sentinels. They were far too young and talented to be arrested. Colossus wondered if at any point in time he had their talent. He doubted that. That would be too good to be true.

He decided to abandon his escape attempt for now. With Kalb's forces patrolling up above, it was not safe to leave. He could not break through the grill anyways.

He squirmed his way back to the beast chamber. Just in time too. The task master banged on the other side of the door. "I don't hear shoveling in there! I'm coming in!" He warned.

Colossus dove for his shovel. The task master stomped in, glaring down at him. "What are you doing?" he looked about in disgust. "You've barely scratched the surface in here!"

"I felt sick." Colossus explained.

The task master kicked a lump of shit in his face. "No excuses! If come back to catch you slacking again, I'm dragging you straight to the ring leaders! Is that clear?"

Colossus nodded yes.

Grumbling, the task master left, slamming the door shut behind him.

Colossus wiped the shit from his face and continued shoveling. Softly, he hummed the smeets' melody, repeating the lyrics in his head repeatedly. He never wanted to forget them. Ever…

"We lost them." The sentinel informed Iac, panting heavily.

Iac struggled to catch his breath. "Where the hell did they go?"

"I don't know." Another underling replied. "Shall we search for them?"

"And waste valuable time chasing after two smeets when we could be finding _it_? Quit being an idiot."

The lesser sentinel bit his tongue until it bled. Authority had made Iac not only irrational, but obnoxious. "Music _is_ forbidden." He reminded his commander. "The Tallest will be highly upset if he finds out people are playing protest songs behind his back."

Iac scowled at him. "I said forget about it! Head back." He turned, catching a glimpse at the façade of the Bludgeon Stadium." Which unit has searched the Blood Sport building?" He asked, pointing.

"None."

Iac raised a brow. "_None_? No one has searched here yet?"

"Well…most of the fighters they use in Blood Sport matches are criminals and defectives that have already been arrested and placed on trial." The lesser sentinel explained. "How could _it_ have been sent to the stadium if _it_ hasn't been arrested yet?"

Iac's antennae twitched in thought. "That's a good question."

"The Colossus is a coward." Taat interrupted.

Scoodge flashed him a confused glance. "Why?"

"Cause he's willing to climb through shit to avoid a fight." Taat argued. "I've never run from a fight a day in my life."

"You start eighty-five percent of the fights you're in." Scoodge reminded him.

Taat glared at his chubby friend, insulted. "Yeah and the other twenty percent of the fights I get into to are to keep you two lunk heads from getting your paks handed to you."

"You mean the other five percent." Scoodge thought, but certainly did not say lest he find himself gasping for breath in one of Taat's deadly headlocks. Luckily, Zim was always foolish enough to speak up.

"You're off by five percent, stupid!" He sneered. "And we always manage to return the favor one way or another, so piss off!"

"Don't call me stupid." Taat growled.

"Then learn to subtract!"

Taat and Zim engaged in a stare down.

"Come on, guys. Quit arguing." Scoodge begged, pushing them apart. "Someone might hear us and we'll all get in trouble."

Zim and Taat begrudgingly backed down from each other.

Scoodge sighed. "Taat, you like to fight. You're a future Blood Sport champion in the making. Everyone knows that, but you _choose _to fight. Colossus wasn't given a choice. Why should he risk his neck fighting for something he doesn't believe in?" Scoodge froze. Had he really asked something like that aloud?

"Because…" Taat struggled to think. "I don't know. It's just…dishonorable to refuse a challenge. I suppose you have a point though, Scoodge." He admitted.

"Besides, the Colossus has been fighting for survival this whole time. He's just doing what he has to. If trying to escape ensures his survival so be it." Zim added defensively. "Honor does a dead Irken no good and the highest honor there is in life is victory. There's no dishonor in being sneaky if you come out on top."

"You honestly believe that, Zim?" Asked Scoodge.

"Yes. Yes I do."

Taat laughed. "I'll keep that in mind the next time you and I have it out."

Zim smirked at him. "You better."

"Well, if you two philosophers are through analyzing honor and dishonor, would you mind putting your big brains to good use and keep reading?" Taat teased, nudging Scoodge.

Scoodge elbowed him. "You're the one who keeps interrupting."

a/n: "An ugly scene indeed. There's something seriously messed up not only with Irkens, but with people...there's a darkness in us that makes us desire violence.

But it's not just that...there's this urge in us to thumb our nose at danger and death. To say "Fuck you, I'm gonna go up Everest and I WON'T freeze to death!" A desire for adventure and to push ourselves. It's as natural as our desire to love and to fight for that which he adore." ngrey651

This is a quote from ngrey651's review for chapter eight. He made a very good, very powerful observation that I kept in the back of my mind as I wrote this chapter.

His words are true for both Irkens and humans. Growing up I watched Invader Zim a lot then eventually went outside to interact with my fellow man. I noticed many ugly and disturbing parallels between the Irken race and the human race in the way we treat each other and other creatures not like ourselves (whether we choose to acknowledge it or not)

In many respects, Legend of Colossus is an exploration of what makes an Irken, Irken. Humans have spent entire lifetimes and then some trying to decipher what makes a human, human. I'm trying to do the same. I am not claiming to know the answers to that question, because I certainly don't have any. I'm no more knowledgeable about the world than anyone else. And like everyone else, I have my theories and opinions, but nothing I say or write can ever be interpreted as fact or truth. From what I've experienced in life, I have no love for the human race (with the exception of a few individuals). But I am human, and I continue to explore my humanity.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is, along with the purpose of entertaining myself and others, the purpose of this fic is to leave the people who read it with something to think about. Thank you, ngrey651 for your reviews and input (and sorry for not being as loyal a reviewer for you as you are for me). Like Jhonen Vasques's cartoons and comics, your writing has entertained me and made me think. I'm glad if at any point my writing has done the same for you.

"The Weapon" is by Rush and in my opinion, one of the best songs to ever have been written both lyrically and musically. Thanks for reading. Until next time…


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Battle for Blood Sport part 1

Colossus v the Bludgeon Beasts

In space the Mighty Nova hovered less than a light-year outside Vort's orbit. Kalb sat at the head of the enormous armada flag ship overseeing the pilots as they tirelessly navigated the vessel. He rested his rarely used feet on the pak of a service drone while another massaged them. Two other service drones stood to either side of his throne serving him snacks.

Kalb smiled, content.

"My Tallest. Incoming transmission from high officer Iac." A communications officer announced, interrupting and thereby ruining Kalb's relaxation.

"Well that was short lived." Kalb growled under his breath. "Put him on screen."

A static ridden image of Iac dressed in plain civilian attire appeared on the main monitor. "Greetings my Tallest." The sentinel saluted. "I'm hailing you from outside the-"

"Make this brief!" Kalb snapped. "I'm tending to urgent business."

Iac's antennae drooped slightly. "My sincerest apologies, my tallest, but I called to inform you I am close to locating _it_."

Kalb raised a brow at him. "Close?"

"I have a hunch _it_ is hiding away in the Bludgeon Stadium."

"Do not waste my precious time on _hunches_!" Kalb shouted, slamming his fist on the arm of his chair.

"_It_ **is** taking refuge in the Bludgeon stadium." Iac quickly corrected himself. "I am carrying out this investigation personally. _It_ will be returned to you by the end of tonight's fight. I promise you, my tallest."

Kalb eyed the sentinel sternly. "_It_ had better. You're deadline is almost up, High Officer."

Iac nodded, giving his antennae a quick wiggle in salute. "I must enter the stadium. High Officer Iac of the elite Sentinels; over and out." He cut the transmission, pausing to take a deep breath. The person behind him shoved him forward.

"Move it!" The impatient Irken snapped. "I'm not missing round one!"

Iac gritted his teeth, resisting the screaming urge to slit the inferior soldier's throat with all his strength. He begrudgingly moved with the line as ordered. He had to act natural or risk blowing his cover.

"Next!" The admissions drone parroted.

Iac approached the short Irken attending the stadium entrance. "One please." He requested.

"That will be seventeen monies." The admissions drone punched in a code on his digital clipboard. A thin chord shot out from the clipboard and attached itself to Iac's pak for a brief moment. His pak beeped with approval and the admission's drone stepped aside; allowing Iac entry. "Thank you for your patronage. Enjoy the show."

Iac quickly passed through the front doors and immediately made his way to the bleachers. He scanned the crowd and the currently empty arena below his balcony. No Irken even closely resembled _it_ so far, but he kept his weary magenta eyes peeled. _It_ was here somewhere. _It _had to be; _it _just had to be!

Kalb exhaled a frustrated groan. "Why must I be constantly surrounded by incompetence?" He slouched low in his chair, expression irate. His antennae perked as Iac's sniveling message replayed in his head. "_The Colossus is stowing away in the Bludgeon Stadium…?_" He repeated inwardly. _"Why that's so absurd it's…it just might be so! You know what they say- if you want something done __**right**__ you have to do it yourself." _

Kalb suddenly sat upright, kicking his masseuse drones aside. "Turn the Mighty Nova around!" He ordered the pilots, pointing. "I must return to Titanolis at once!"

Without question, the pilots immediately turned the Mighty Nova around without question and cranked the propulsion units to maximum.

Meanwhile; in the Bludgeon Beasts' den…

Panting, gagging, Colossus dumped the last shovel full of feces down the waste chute. He banged the shovel against the door, signaling he had completed his task.

The door opened. Blinded by the sudden brightness, Colossus stumbled through the exit, gasping for fresh air. His eyes quickly adjusted and spotted Drah at the end of a chain collar held by Ress. Ress aimed a hose at Colossus and sprayed him down with liquid cleansing chuck.

Colossus coughed up suds, rubbing his stinging eyes.

Ress turned off the hose. "No name!" He wheezed, pointing to Colossus. "To my office **now**…"

The other gladiator slaves watched from their cells as the sickly Blood Sport brother led Colossus and Drah through the dungeon halls. Colossus kept his eyes to the floor. He did not have to see the ominous expression on their faces to know he was in deep trouble. "Did they find out I tried to escape?" He wondered inwardly. "Did they watch me from a hidden surveillance system? Did they place a tracking device in me?" Colossus shook anxiously. Both were possible.

After what seemed like a grueling eternity, they reached the Blood Sport brother's office.

The door slammed shut behind them as they entered. Ress joined his brother at their desk. They scowled at the two gladiator slaves from their seats; Lurr's expression particularly livid. His wine-red eyes were puffy against his contorted scowl.

Drah stepped forward, head high. "Why have you summoned us here? We have violated no rules."

"Su Garh is dead!" Lurr blurted out.

The gladiators' eyes bulged from their heads, completely dumbstruck. Colossus did not know whether to smile or frown, so he did neither. He had not expected to hear such good and at the same time, very terrible news.

"She was found by one of her culinary apprentices in her personal chamber dribbling blood from her mouth." Lurr explained. "She internally bled to death in the care of paramedics from a ruptured squeddly spooch caused by a **massive** blow to the stomach. _You _were the last two people to see her alive and healthy."

Drah shook her head in disbelief. "No, no this isn't right. He and Su Garh wrestled during our last training session, yes, but she walked away from the fight relatively unharmed. She continued to coach him for hours in the arsenal, vigorously as ever. She cannot be dead!"

"Stupid CUNT!" Lurr spat, slamming his fist against the desk. "Do you really think a proud and noble Fry Lady like Su Garh would willingly show pain in front of two societal defects such as you?" Lurr breathed heavily to ebb the rage swelling inside him. "I am changing tonight's lineup! HE is going in the ring!"

"NO!" Drah protested, instinctively jumping in front of Colossus. "He isn't ready!"

Ress snickered. "He killed Su Garh with his bare hands. Sounds to me he's more than ready." His expression hardened behind his respirator. "We know what you're up to, Drah. You cannot keep him out of the arena forever. Our patience has officially depleted with the both of you. He WILL fight tonight."

"And he WILL lose!" Lurr added venomously. "I have already summoned the guards. They will suit him up for battle and escort him to the Bludgeon Stadium. It will take them a minute or two for them to reach our office. I suggest you use this opportunity to say goodbye to your beloved pupil, Drah." Lurr pressed a button at the far end of his desk, opening the door. "Get out of my sight!"

Colossus hung his head in shame outside the office. Drah took his hand, patting it gently. "It wasn't your fault. She told you to fight her and win and you did as ordered. No one can persecute you for that."

"I never meant to kill her."  
"I know. I know." Drah sighed. "I still can't believe she's dead."

"Lurr was crying. He mourns Su Garh."

Drah Nodded. "Yes. Lurr loved her. He mourns her deeply, as do I. She was the last person on Irk I still respected because she was the last person on Irk who still respected me."

Colossus began to tear up. He cursed himself for even considering leaving Drah behind. "I respect you." He whispered.

Drah heard. She paused for a moment of silence, saluting and drooping her antennae in Su Garh's memory."

Colossus did the same. He hated Su Garh for how she treated him and his fellow gladiator slaves, but she treated Drah well and for that she deserved a respectful send off.

Marching footsteps approached. The tallest task master approached him, raising his taser lance. "Step aside, Drah. We're here for no-name."

Drah held Colossus back. "You can't take him! I won't let you!"

The task master took another step forward. "Don't be difficult." He snickered. "It's not as if you can stop us."

Drah threw a punch, knocking the task master on his ass. Two others immediately tackled her. "Get away from him! He's just a smeet!" She shrieked, tears pouring down her face. They struggled to keep her pinned, attempting to gag her with a glove.

"Protect your eyes!" She cried out to Colossus. "Forehead too! Move constantly! Don't mmmhm! MMMMhhhmmm!" One guard pinned her face to the floor while the other drove a needle into her neck. She froze instantly, paralyzed.

Colossus yanked the two task masters off her by their throats and slammed them against the wall. The tallest task master lunged at him, and drove his own syringe in Colossus's calf muscle.

He groaned in agony, wobbling backwards. His muscles burned and his chest felt heavy. Seconds later he fell unconscious to the floor with a heavy _**thud**_.

The tallest task master quickly went to the aid of the other two and pulled them to their feet. "Bitch!" He spat, hogtieing Drah in chains while she was still unconscious. "Leave her here. She's not going anywhere. It'll take all three of us to drag up no-name…"

Minutes later, Colossus awoke suspended from a wall facing the interior of the bludgeon stadium. He looked about in horror as thousands of Irken commoners cheered from the bleachers above, ravenously screaming for bloodshed.

He looked to the octagonal arena before him where two unnamed gladiator slaves fought bare knuckled. Colossus recognized them. They were two mentally challenged defectives Ress and Lurr bought from a local psychiatric ward a few weeks prior to his arrival. Kalb ordered all Irkens declared defects for retardation to be euthanized and all psychiatric hospitals to be foreclosed for civilian housing. Ress and Lurr bought a handful of the patients as slaves before their scheduled execution and used them in "tard" fights as a sort of comic relief before the serious matches.

Emaciated, desperate, the two gladiators wrestled to the floor with every ounce of strength they had in them. Eventually one overpowered the other and put him in a head lock. The gladiator twisted his opponents' head until his neck snapped. His opponent fell limp, in his arms.

The audience exploded with applause. Uttering a low and crazed fit of laughter, the victorious gladiator held his fallen opponent's arm to his mouth and took a big bite. Irkens, like most organisms are not beneath an act of cannibalism during times of desperation. The victor gnawed away at the loser's flesh, wolfing down large chunks as quickly as he could before a task master marched into the ring and pulled him off the corpse.

The gladiator clawed at the ground in protest, knowing full and well he would not get another opportunity to eat until the next match. When it appeared the gladiator was getting too rowdy to handle, the task master zapped him with his taser lance and dragged him away. The audience laughed as the gladiator twitched on the ground, moaning incoherently as the task master removed him from sight.

Colossus had never felt such pity. That gladiator may have been mentally retarded, but he was smart enough to know when he was being abused.

He was not given much time to mourn.

"Do not be alarmed, folks!" Lurr's voice echoed from above. Colossus could just barely spot the Blood Sport brother's silhouettes behind a glass booth high above the spectators. "Ress and I are pleased to introduce a newcomer tonight." The husky Blood Sport brother continued in his best energetic announcer voice. "This hulking mass of Irken flesh has no name or origin. He is the embodiment of brutality and strength of forgotten, savage era. Stronger than steel and nearly as tall as the Widower himself, this new contender is guaranteed to put up the meanest fight the Bludgeon Stadium has ever seen! Tell me, folks! ARE YOU READY FOR THE CARNAGE?"

The spectators erupted an enthused YES!

It began. A section of wall opened before Colossus. The wall he was shackled to automatically slid forward and replaced the gap, sealing him in the Bludgeon arena. He cried out as his shackles loosened, dropping him to the floor.

He looked up, holding a hand over his eyes to dim the blinding spotlights. The audience above gasped, some choking on sips of soda or a mouth full of popcorn. They were so used to Lurr's exaggerations, non expected Colossus to be the monster he described to them.

Iac jumped in his seat as he spotted the gigantic armored gladiator enter the arena. He stared at the brute, jaw slacked in awe. He was _it_! The outlaw he and his fellow sentinels had been searching for!

The audience cheered in anticipation.

"Contender" Lurr addressed Colossus. "Choose your weapon."

On the walls of the arena hung various melee weapons, most the Colossus had never been given a chance to practice with. He looked to his feet and shook his head no. "I will not!"

Kalb had told Iac _It _couldn't speak at all. To hear his deep, guttural voice made the young sentinel's guts sink.

"One last chance. Choose a weapon."

"I will NOT!"

Enraged by the Colossus's insolence, Lurr gritted his teeth. "Yes you WILL!"

A loud buzzer sounded off at the far end of the arena. A second wall opened. Colossus watched in horror as a mass of slimy black tendrils slithered through the opening, dragging a voot runner sized lump of gelatinous flesh with it.

_"Breathing life into these mares where enemies turn into flesh  
This is the abyss I fear the most . I feel their eyes staring at me"_

"Let's see how well our contender fares against our Bludgeon Beasts, shall we?"

Iac smirked. _It_ _doesn't stand a chance against the goo-gore hydra mite_. His smirk faded with a dreaded realization. _But if the hydramite sucks him dry, I won't have much of carcass to deliver to the Tallest. _"Sputch!" The commanding sentinel spat aloud. "Kill the beast! KILL IT!" He cried over the other spectators. He laughed inwardly. Twenty minutes ago he never would have dreamed of cheering _It_ on.

The hydramite caught the unmistakable scent of Irken blood. It reached for Colossus, serrated tendrils parched. Colossus backed away slowly. Once within reach, the hydramite lunged at him, wrapping four tendrils around his legs.

The audience gasped as the hydramite ripped Colossus's feet from under him. He fell to the ground with a heavy _**thud**_, crying out in pain as the alien beast's tendrils ripped through his boots and began to burrow beneath his flesh, sucking blood.

Colossus managed to kick one foot free. He desperately clawed for the wall, fingers scrapping thin trenches in the floor. The hydramite entangled both legs once again. Colossus pulled harder. Holding back the urge to scream, he reached for a broad blade scythe festooned on the arena wall. Slowly, his fingertips reached for the scythe handle. The hydramite yanked him back, but with a deep breath, he pulled forward and snatched the weapon from the wall.

The more squeamish spectators winced as Colossus chopped himself free from the ensnaring tendrils. The hydramite hissed, recoiling. It sulked for a brief moment, blood sack pulsating. Colossus took the opportunity to run. Little did he realize goo-gore hydramites are gifted with extremely rapid regeneration. In no time at all, eight tendrils replaced the four Colossus had chopped off.

With each new tendril, the hydramite became that much quicker. It perused Colossus. Its tendrils wrapped around him, ripping off his armor. Colossus hacked away at the parasite, struggling to keep his limbs free. He had to avoid the tendrils, lest the hydramite suck him dry. Already it had drained a good amount of blood and he was beginning to feel light headed. But still, Colossus swung his scythe. Dismembered tendrils flew through the air like party ribbon, spraying a murky mix of both his and the parasite's blood.

The hydramite howled in pain after each swipe of the blade, but it was quick to regenerate, growing quicker by the second. Colossus had absolutely no time to recoup. Too busy hacking away at the parasite, he did not notice its blood sac growing fatter and fatter. Unable to count the number of tendrils by this point, Colossus knew his defensive strategy was getting him nowhere. He struggled to think of a solution. _How do I stop it_? He asked over and over again inwardly. How indeed?

_"Waiting with carnivorous patience, their memory timeless  
For all they know I must succumb sometime."  
_Ress wheezed an obnoxious yawn. "No name isn't too bright, is he, brother?"

Lurr growled in response.

"The audience grows bored as well." Ress observed. "He had better come up with a finishing move, quick. Or at the very least have the decency to die so we can move on to another fight."

"How is he still standing?" Lurr barked aloud to himself more so than to Ress.

Ress chuckled. "Surely you didn't think that brute would go down that easily?"

"Obviously, I thought wrong, brother." Lurr glared at him. He hated to admit when Ress was right. Left with few other options, he raised his pointer finger dramatically high above his head. "Enough of this! No name must die!"

Ress grabbed his brother's hand before he could press the button. "Wait!" He begged, pointing down at the arena. "Look!"

Colossus chopped his way free once again. While the hydramite slithered back to regenerate, he bolted backwards and with a powerful overhand thrust, threw his scythe at the parasite's swollen blood sack. The blade punctured it, drenching the Colossus in blood.

Colossus pounced on the hydramite and pulled his scythe free. He reached into the wound and began to rip apart the fleshy black walls of the blood sack. The hydramite screeched, squirming in Colossus's grip. The few tendrils left attached shriveled. Seconds later, the parasite grew cold and died.

Colossus backed away, scratched, bloodied, and woozy, but victorious. He wiped the blood and gore from his face and threw his scythe to the floor.

The audience was on the edge of their seats. They cheered for Colossus, begging to see more.

"Now?" Lurr hissed.

Ress smirked at his brother beneath his respirator. "Now." He confirmed, releasing his hand.

"Victory goes to the mystery contender! Excellent kill!" Lurr commended Colossus begrudgingly through the microphone. Lurr slammed his fist on the button. "Round Two!"

A second buzzer sounded. Colossus jumped as a deafening roar echoed behind him. Colossus spun around and to his horror, a meat thirsty hogulous charged straight at him. It's hoofs shook the stadium. He froze, clenching his eyes shut, expecting a gruesome end in the beast's carnivorous jowls.

_"A solemn cry rises to the sky as heavy wings blacken out  
The morning sun with infinite darkness. Am I dreaming or am I dead?"  
_"BOOOOO!" The audience shouted, displeased. A moment passed and Colossus realized he wasn't dead. He opened his eyes and turned around. The hogulous had charged right past him and went for the easier meal, the hydramite corpse. He hunched over the slain parasite, wolfing down its remains. Slowly, silently; Colossus reached for his scythe.

Lurr slapped Ress across the back of his head. "Great timing, numbskull!"

Ress shoved his brother aside. "Be patient. The hogulous still hungers."

Again, the sickly Blood Sport brother proved to be correct. A random spectator tossed his soda can at the feasting hogulous. Irritated, the hogulous glanced over his shoulder, noticing the Colossus for the first time. It sniffed the air, smelling spilled blood on fresh Irken meat. It abandoned the hydramite carcass and Turned for Colossus.

The audience went wild as the hogulous circled the gladiator. Colossus held up his scythe, watching the beast carefully for any sudden movements. The hogulous inched closer. Colossus sung his blade, forcing it back a step.

It roared at Colossus, spitting saliva in his face. Colossus roared back, louder, more ferocious. The hogulous slumped away, startled. The spectators grasped their chests to calm their rapidly beating hearts. Was it even possible for an Irken to roar like that?

Colossus's bold display of dominance did not intimidate the hogulous for long. It arched its back and pounced. Thinking quickly, Colossus rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding a deadly chomp. The blade of his scythe nicked the hogulous's left leg.

It stumbled a bit, howling in pain. Colossus sprung to his feet and hacked at the other leg. Roaring, the Hogulous bucked, kicking Colossus across the stadium.

He landed on his back, barely conscious. He kept still, slowing his breaths. The hogulous charged at him once again. He lurched over Colossus, sniffing his seemingly lifeless body. Satisfied, the hogulous roared in triumph. Jowls salivating; it moved in for the second course. With impeccable timing, Colossus sprung to life at the last second and sung his scythe, cutting one of the hogulous's tusks clean off.

The audience cheered, overwhelmed with disbelief.

The hogulous shook his head violently. He limped about, unable to maintain balance with only one tusk in tact. This time Colossus pounced, exhaling battle cry as he drove the blade of his scythe right between the hogulous's two sets of eyes. The beast bucked only for a moment longer then collapsed to his side.

The spectators jolted in the air from seats upon the impact. "Finish it!" They ordered again and again. "KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!"

_"In search for my heart. Lost in this hell  
The vultures are soaring above. Tearing me apart"  
_Colossus pried his bloodied scythe from the hogulous's dense skull. He knelt beside his fallen body and stroked his soft tawny pelt. The hogulous's stomach distended and inflated slowly as it struggled to draw breath. Overwhelmed by remorse and pity, Colossus climbed to his feet and raised his scythe for one final blow to end his suffering. He swung down hard on the hogulous's throat, slicing clean through the jugular and halfway through his spine. The beast died instantly.

_"Screaming Voices in my head. A sudden pain then deadly silence  
Devouring the remains of my heart. I can feel it dying"  
_"Again, victory goes to the mystery contender!" Lurr announced, unable to maintain his false enthusiasm.

The arena swelled with applause. Colossus looked up at the cheering Irkens, feeling confused and quite angry. Why did they applaud him? What possible enjoyment could they possibly get from this senseless combat? He could not understand and refused to encourage it any further.

"STOP!" He shouted above the cheering and clapping. "STOP THIS! STOP! STOP! STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

The Blood Sport brother's laughed at him. "Stop?" Lurr taunted. "We've only just begun!"

_"Picking at the bones of my soul  
Left me dead inside  
The more I gave the more they took  
Left me dead inside"  
_Suddenly an alarm sounded overhead and a flashing red light illuminated the stadium.

"What do you know, folks? The amateur siren!" Lurr announced. "You know what that means? Some lucky bastard from the audience gets to challenge the gladiator! Who will it be tonight?"

Iac's heart started to beat a mile a minute. This was his opportunity! _It_ is already tired out from the Bludgeon Beast match. Subduing _It_ would be a cinch!

The amateur siren continued to wail. The audience froze. None dared to volunteer.

"No one wants to challenge the mystery contender? Come on, people! Someone here must have the guts!" Lurr urged.

Iac jumped on his seat, waving his arms frantically. "ME!" He begged. "I challenge him! Pick me! PICK MEEE!"

A spotlight shined down on him. Iac grinned. He was in!

"Looks like we found our amateur. Step on down, soldier and suit up!"

The audience whispered doubtfully amongst themselves as the enthusiastic sentinel raced down the steps towards the arena. Many called him crazy. More called him stupid. Iac ignored all of them. He had a mission to complete and nothing would stand in his way!

Lurr slapped his forehead, frustrated. "An amateur match! Now of all times! What a fucking rip off!"

"Patience, brother. No name will meet his end soon enough. Better to toy with him awhile first. It's more entertaining that way."

"For those peons below us, maybe, but not for me! I want him dead!"

Ress sighed. "Your wants will not rake in a profit. Just sit back and get a cheap laugh, would you?"

Lurr slouched in his seat, pouting like a smeet. "Fine…So how long do you think that idiot will last again no name?"

"Forty monies on forty seconds." Ress placed his bet confidently.

Lurr gave his brother a friendly slap on the pak. "You're on."

A/n: This chapter and the next two chapters are really one big chapter, I'm just splitting them into three parts to cut down on length a little bit. Been a long while since I last updated. "Vultures" is by Arch Enemy.

Been awhile since I've updated. I hope someone is still reading this. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. Later everybody!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Battle for Blood Sport part 2

Colossus v the Sentinel

Colossus's antennae drooped at the sight of his opponent. He was a young, too young to die, and skinny, too skinny to put up any real fight. Why would this person willingly engage in a death match? What could possibly be going through his head?

"_Unchain your obscenity  
Desirable enemy  
Await my enlightening  
Allow what your fate can bring"_

Two task masters greeted high officer Iac as he boldly entered the stadium. They slapped some armor on him; a chest plate, belt and arm and wrist guards. Once suited, they shoved him into the ring, sealing the entrance shut behind him.

"Welcome to Blood Sport." Lurr greeted the new contender through a hover screen "You understand this is a fight to death?"

"I do." Iac answered, expression sober.

"Very well." The hover screen moved aside. "Choose your weapon."

Iac inspected the wall of weapons offered to him carefully. The spectators shouted out suggestions from all sides. The young sentinel ignored them all, settling on a simple dagger. This shocked the audience, Colossus and the Blood Sport brothers as well.

"Are you sure you want to use that weapon against the mystery contender? I would advise you to grab something bigger."

Iac held the blade up to the light, smiling at his reflection is the recently sharpened blade. "I'm sure." He insisted.

"In that case; get ready…."

Colossus and the sentinel braced themselves for combat.

"FIGHT!"

"_Now - you're caught inside my cage  
You - the object of my rage  
Sin - I wash you clean again  
I'm your redeemer"  
_Iac charged straight at Colossus. Within three seconds he had sprinted across the stadium and was within arm's reach of the huge Irken. In all the young sentinel's years of training and patrolling Irk's streets on foot, he had become an incredibly fast runner and exceptionally agile.

Thinking quickly, Colossus swung at Iac with a heavy downward thrust. His timing was too slow. His axe blade lodged deep into the floor. As colossus struggled to pull it free, Iac jumped over the blade and used the handle as a springboard. He jumped, landing a round house kick to Colossus's face that sent him toppling over on his ass.

The audience cheered in disbelief, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction to witness someone so tall get knocked down by someone so short.

_"'Cause I  
I live for your pain  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying"_

Iac wasted no time. He pounced on Colossus, pinning him to the floor. He raised his dagger high; ready to carve out his heart, but Colossus grabbed his wrist and gripped tightly.

Iac pressed as hard as he could, but he couldn't budge his arm while in the Colossuus's clutches. "Resist if you want, but it's pointless now. I've got you." He told his pinned opponent.

"Please, stop this." Colossus begged, green-blue eyes wide and dewy. "This is _madness_! I don't want to hurt you- anyone!"

"Oh, but I want to hurt _you_." Iac could feel his hold on the dagger slipping as Colossus tightened his grip. His face contorted with discomfort and frustration. "I am high officer Iac of the elite sentinels and you are under arrest!"

Colossus swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn't like the sound of that. "I have done nothing I was not forced to do, and I wish to do no harm. Please stop before I'm forced to kill you."

"You can't threaten the law!" Iac snapped. "I know what you're doing! Trying to play innocent, beg for mercy- well it won't work with this sentinel! There is a price on your head, _it_ and I mean to collect! Tallest Kalb shall wait for you no longer!"

Colossus's eyes bulged from his head at the mentioning of that dreaded name. He jerked his arm forward, forcing Iac to knock himself in the forehead with his dagger handle. Disoriented with a nasty bump on his head, Iac was helpless as Colossus pushed him off his chest and choke slammed him to the floor. "GO!" he ordered. "NOW! And tell Kalb he will **never** take me alive!"

Iac managed to crack a smile with Colossus's fingers wrapped around his throat. "He's willing to take you dead." He choked out with a snicker. With that, Iac bit down on a tablet hidden under his tongue, spraying a pink, steaming liquid.

_"My victim you're meant to be  
No, you cannot hide nor flee  
You know what I'm looking for  
Pleasure, your torture I will endure"_

Colossus stood, yowling in agony. Blinded, he stumbled about, rubbing his eyes. The more he rubbed, the harsher it stung.

Again, Iac attacked. Colossus never saw the blows coming. Even if he had been able to, he would have been too slow to stop it. The sentinel moved like lightening, running and jumping circles around him. After landing at least twenty punches and ten kicks, Iac stopped to catch his breath.

Colossus stood, hunched over, still rubbing his eyes. It was as if he hadn't felt the hits at all. His skin hadn't even bruised. Iac felt like a single insect trying to sting through hogulous hide. He seemed to be merely pestering Colossus, not doing any real damage at all.

The crowd booed, weary of the one-sided fight. Growing impatient, Iac kicked Colossus's feet from out from under him.

Colossus caught his balance at the last moment. Through blurred vision he could see the young sentinel sticking his tongue out at him, making rude hand gestures. Infuriated by this point, Colossus lunged forward with intent to strangle, but Iac turned his back to him and grabbed his wrist. Using his own bulk against him, Iac shifted his weight and tossed Colossus over his shoulder.

_"Now - you rust inside my cage  
You - the object of my rage  
Blood - I wash you clean again  
I'm your redeemer"  
_The floor shook as Colossus slammed against the floor on his back. The crowd went wild. Iac threw his fist in the air triumphantly, but a sharp pain in his spine wiped the smug grin off his face instantly. He held his lower back, unable to stand erect. "_You idiot!_" he scolded himself inwardly. "_It was too heavy! You threw your back out!_"

To his horror, Colossus climbed to his feet once again. He stomped towards Iac wearing a vicious scowl. Iac's mind raced." _Where to go? What to do? You pulled something and __**It**__ is barely scratched!_"

Ignoring the pain, focusing solely on his survival, Iac pounced, blade securely in hand. He drove his dagger into Colossus's chest, just under his pak. Colossus cried out as the sentinel twisted the blade, deeper, harder. He yanked Iac off of him by his antennae and tossed him aside.

_"'Cause I  
I live for your pain  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'll burn in your flame  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'm dying  
I'll burn"  
_Iac struggled to pull himself upright. He winced as he put pressure on his left foot. "_Twisted my ankle when I landed."_ He lamented inwardly. He glanced up, realizing Colossus was on his knees, holding the gaping, bleeding hole he left in his chest. "Drooch it!" He cursed aloud. Iac had hoped to stab Its heart, but his pak must have blocked it. He looked around the floor for his dagger, eager to execute a fatal and final blow. He dropped to his knees and scampered for the blade.

Colossus spotted him and dove for the dagger as well. His long arms proved useful. He reached it first. Iac stared up in horror as the Colossus stood, leering over him with the dagger in hand. Colossus tossed it across the arena. "I am tired of Blood Sport." He stated coldly, glaring eyes fixated on the quivering sentinel.

Iac limped back a step as Colossus stomped forward. "Tired of being beaten." He continued. "Tired of being locked away, of running…"

Iac's pak hit the wall of the ring. Colossus stomped forward. "I'm tired of the pain…" he reached down, lifting Iac off the ground by his head. "And I'm tired of **you**!"

"_Now - you're rust inside my cage  
You - the object of my rage  
Blood - I wash you clean again  
I'm your redeemer  
Be my believer"  
_Iac's cries were muffled beneath Colossus's palms. He could hear his skull cracking beneath his scalp like a walnut. Cranial collapse seemed inevitable. Luckily for the sentinel, someone in the audience happened to have an extreme super sized mug of soda and good aim.

"Pick on someone your own size!" The outraged spectator shouted.

"Yeah!"

"Bully!"

"Monster!"

A thousand others shouted in protest, tossing their snacks and drinks at Colossus.

Colossus's grip loosened. "_What am I doing?"_

"Go on, no-name!" The Lurr urged. "Claim your victory. Finish the armature!"

_'Cause I  
I live for your pain  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'll burn in your flame  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'm dying  
I'll burn_

_'Cause I  
I live for your pain  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'll burn in your flame  
I live for your pain  
I'm dying  
I'm dying  
I'll burn"_

Colossus stared at the sentinel, watching him squirm and struggling to breath in his powerful grip. It was pathetic. "No." Finally, he dropped Iac to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Iac cried. "You won! You've disgraced me! Now finish me off!"

"No!" Colossus protested. "I can't. I won't. Not again"

Iac couldn't help it. He began to tear up. "Spineless wretch!" He spat at Colossus's feet. "What heartless bastard leaves an officer to die by the cruel hands of the widower?"

"You chose to serve him." Colossus turned to the audience, glaring up at the booth where the Blood Sport brothers perched. "COWARDS!" He cried, pointing to the ring leaders. "You want a fight? Fight me yourselves!"

A dead silence swept over the audience.

"What's wrong?" Colossus coaxed. "Too old? Too fat? Too ill? Have you _ever_ fought in the Bludgeon Stadium?"

Ress's face turned blue with anger. He wheezed through his respirator, unable to regulate his breathing in his angered state. "How **dare** he call us out! Are we going to let him speak that way to us, brother?"

Lurr's antenna twitched. "No we will not."

Colossus and all the spectators watched the silhouettes of the Blood Sport brothers for any movement. Colossus braced himself, ready for their retaliation. If he was to die in this accursed arena, he would take those two miserable slave drivers with him…

Iac reached into his boot. "Sorry, It." He hissed under his breath. "But this isn't their fight-"

"Well?" Taat poked Skoodge in the back of the head. "What does he have in his boot?"

"I don't want to read anymore." Skoodge protested. "This Blood Sport stuff is turning my stomach."

Zim snorted. "How do you plan on becoming a soldier if you can't handle a little blood?" He scolded his chubby friend.

"War is one thing, but this is ghoulish…no offense, Taat."

Taat shrugged indifferently.

"We could get through this much quicker if you would quit stopping to whine every ten seconds! READ!" Zim commanded, tapping his finger against the computer screen.

"All right." Skoodge sighed. "You two are insufferable, you know that?"

Zim smiled, kicking his feet up and resting his head on his hands. "You can't resist our charisma."

Taat let out an obnoxious "HA! That's not it. He's trapped with us and we won't let him escape. We're his Bludgeon Stadium." He corrected his shorter cohort.

Skoodge rolled his eyes. "It's a little of both." He admitted.

Zim glanced up at Taat. "You think you could take the Colossus?"

"Me? Pffft!" Taat flashed him a dismissive hand gesture. "I could take him easily."

"That's a bold faced lie." Zim sneered.

"Yeah?" Taat forced Zim him a headlock and gave him a wicked noogie. "Why'd ya bother asking if you thought I was going to lie?"

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Re-ow-lease-ow me!" Zim ordered as he squirmed, trying his damnedest to pull free, kicking Skoodge in the process.

"Quit it!" Skoodge climbed over him and tugged on Taat's antenna until he released Zim.

They glared at the chubby smeet. Skoodge glared right back at them. "Enough screwing around or I WILL walk out and never finish the story." He threatened.

"Fine." Taat begrudgingly sat still. He elbowed Zim in the side until he did the same.

"Please continue." Zim asked with false manners.

Skoodge eyed them carefully before returning his attention to the text. "Iac reached into his boot. "Sorry it." He hissed…"

How's that for a cliff hanger? Eh, not my favorite chapter so far. I cranked it out in between classes today, half high on oil paint and turpentine fumes. These Blood Sport chapters ARE going somewhere and the fic will not end with them. It just seems like this part of the story is dragging forever. "I Live for your pain" is by Helloween. I was very tempted to use "The Sentinel" by Judas Priest for this chapter, because that was the song I listened to when I drew Iac's character design, but I decided against it for redundancy reasons…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Battle for Blood Sport part 3: Colossus v. Lurr; Co-Founder of Blood Sport

Colossus felt a sharp pain suddenly shooting between his ribs just beneath his shoulder blade. He mentally kicked himself for turning his back to the sentinel. Wincing, he reached behind his back to remove the source of the agony. He felt the thin shard of steel, from an army knife no doubt, wedged deep inside the w-"

"AEHK!" Taat suddenly clenched his stomach, gasped for breath. Zim and Skoodge instinctively jumped to his aid.

Skoodge held his choking friend upright, patting him on the back. "Breathe, Taat!" he urged. "Breathe!"

"He's not breathing." Zim lamented, pacing in a small circle nervously. He exhaled a series of panicked gasps, racking his frantic young mind for some way to help. All the while, Tat sat, doubled over before him, green eyes growing duller, pale green skin turning blue as his withering squeedly spooch failed to take in air.

In a last ditch effort, Zim jabbed Taat in his medical pak. That seemed to do the trick. Taat inhaled deeply. His chest and back paks hummed in unison, proceeding with their biological processes normally. "Thanks" Taat said weakly, eyes brightening and normal complexion returning.

Snarling, Zim slapped the taller smeet across the face, hard.

Taat recoiled, holding his cheek on which Zim had left a stinging purple hand print. His expression hardened and without thinking, he slapped Zim back, knocking him right off the chair and onto the floor.

"HEY!" Skoodge punched Taat in the back of the head.

Taat scooted away from him, rubbing the lump forming. Skoodge was notoriously timid, most of the time too much so for his own good, but he knew how to throw his excess weight around when provoked the right way. "What has gotten into to you two?" Taat cried.

"Did you take your medication?" Skoodge asked, fists firmly placed on his hips.

Taat's expression softened. "Yes…"

"Right when you were supposed to?" Zim interrogated further, struggling to pull himself back onto the chair.

"Yes!" Taat repeated, offering his shorter friend a hand.

Zim slapped it away. "Then what was _**that**_?"

"A spooch murmur, all right? Just a spooch murmur!" Taat took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down lest he hurl himself into another coughing fit. He looked to his friends apologetically as they scowled at him with white hot intensity. He looked to his lap embarrassed. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm really _really-_"

"Save it!" Zim snapped. He turned his head, holding in the urge to cry.

"It's okay, Taat." Skoodge brushed back his antennae and sighed. "You startled us that's all."

"I didn't mean to…I'm sick, okay? You two should be used to my palpitations by now."

"Well we're not!" Zim sneered. "Maybe if you'd take your medicine when you're supposed to we wouldn't **have** to get used to them!"

"Mistress Sic stays on my case enough about my medication. I don't need you riding me with her."

"Next time I'll let you choke!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Skoodge cried, forcing them apart. "Zim didn't mean that and neither did you; admit it."

Zim and Taat turned their paks to one another. Skoodge felt like yanking out his antennae. Why oh why did he befriend the two most stubborn smeets in the birthing factory? Oh yeah, because no one else would befriend him. "Come on guys…"

Zim's expression softened just slightly. He glanced anxiously at the computer screen. "Maybe we _should_ turn back." He finally agreed, still unnerved by Taat's coughing fit.

"Yeah." Skoodge nodded. "We had our fun, but it's time we called it quits. Zim, try to log out and erase the history if you can. I'll escort Taat to the medic and-"

"NO!" Taat protested. "I'm tired of you guys tip-toeing around me! I don't need to be rushed to smeetiatrics every time my aid pak acts up! I'll be fine!"

"You don't look so well." Skoodge warned. "We're not taking any chances."

"I'm not going." Taat stated firmly, crossing his arms. "Unless either of you think you can drag me out of Tyz's room." He glared defiantly at his short friends, knowing full and well neither Skoodge nor Zim would dare fight him straight on. "Well…? Want to try it?"

Zim flashed him a dismissive hand gesture. "You're not worth the effort." He sneered.

"Okay then. Keep reading. No point quitting now."

Skoodge looked to Zim questioningly. Zim shrugged. "You heard his tallest."

"Fine, I'll do it." Skoodge agreed against his better judgment. "But one more pak glitch and we're out of here."

Taat sighed. "Deal."

Satisfied, Skoodge turned to the compute and began searching for where he had left off.

"He felt the thin shard of steel, from an army knife no doubt, wedged deep inside the wound, but no handle with which to pull it out.

Colossus turned back. Iac stood before him wearing a malicious grin. "Projectile blade. Standard sentinel issue." He explained. "Good luck digging that out."

The enraged Colossus charged at him, exhaling a roar. In his infuriated state, Colossus failed to hear the spectators cheer on Lurr on as he swooped down from the referee balcony on a hover disk armed and prepared to fight. Lurr jumped, kicking the disk out from under his feet.

Before Colossus could grab a hold of Iac, the hover disk hit him with a dense _**clang**_, knocking him right off his feet on impact. Reflexes still sharp, Lurr landed on his feet pulling out twin war quiot-"

"War quoit?" Zim cocked his head in confusion.

"A disk handle with 5 to 12 in blades wrapped around its diameter. Sometimes called a chakram." Taat explained with his usual weapon wiz gusto. "Primitives used them in duels to death in ancient days. Very effective for slashing."

"Ah…" Zim nodded. Skoodge shook his head and continued.

"Lurr landed on his feet, pulling out twin war quoits from behind his back. He was about to pounce on colossus when Iac grabbed his shoulder plate.

Lurr elbowed the young sentinel in the chest forcing him back a step. "Stand down, smeet, or I'll slaughter you with him!"

"I'm no smeet!" Iac spat, standing tall. "I am high officer Iac of the elite sentinels and you are interfering with a tallest authorized arrest, so YOU stand down!"

Lurr blurted out an obnoxious "HA! _You_ arrest _him_? Not likely after that pitiful performance. All your cute jumping about and fancy foot work got you nowhere, remember? Had you gone for the kill instead of shown off that dagger might have ended the monster, but you failed. Now stand down and watch a real warrior defeat an enemy! The widower can have what's left of him when I'm-"

"RRAAAAHHHHH!" Colossus now armed and swelling with rage, swung his axe directly for Lurr's torso.

Lurr back flipped, just barely managing to keep his lower body connected with his upper body. Colossus moved in on him, swinging madly, harder, faster…

Iac smirked from the sideline, amused by Lurr's efforts to avoid and block Colossus's deadly blade. He had to give the Blood Sport brother credit. He was strong for his average height, nimble for his advanced age and certainly knew how and when to put his experience to good use, but despite this, he stood no better against the Colossus then he had.

Lurr crossed his war quoits over his head just in time to stop a fatal downward chop aimed between his wine-red eyes. The impact forced Lurr to his aching knees instantly. Colossus pressed down with all his might. A new and frightening lust for blood and sweet revenge shimmered in his green-blue eyes.

Lurr gritted his teeth, arms ready to give way to Colossus's strength at any moment. It was no use. He was a goner unless he could escape the path of the axe. Thinking quickly, he rolled between Colossus's legs.

Thrown off balance, Colossus stumbled forward, tripping over his own axe.

Lurr jumped to his feet, panting heavily. That was too close for comfort. He thanked fate inwardly for Colossus's clumsiness.

"You're getting too old for this." Iac taunted the frazzled Blood Sport brother.

Lurr snarled, holding the razor edge to his war quoit to Iac's smug throat. "You want your perpetrator, officer?" he hissed venomously. "Then help me take him down!"

Iac smiled. "Thought you'd never ask." Finally, catching his second wind, Iac swung into action. With an incredible vertical leap forward, he round house kicked Colossus in the back of his head, knocking face first onto the floor once again before he even managed to climb to his knees.

With his dagger in hand, and Lurr's war quoits in his, they moved in on Colossus with intent to slaughter.

At the last second, Colossus rolled over on his back, caught them both by their wrists and slung them in opposite directions across the arena. The spectators booed and hissed the lucky dodge fiercely.

_"__Hatred obsessing me  
Hatred possessing me  
Anger burning me  
Anger turning me  
into someone I don't know  
Rage shaking me  
Rage making me  
Into someone I don't know  
I'll kill you tonight"_

Ress looked down from the referee balcony, wine-red eyes glued to the death match taking place below. Applause rattled the Bludgeon stadium, making his weak, disease-infested heart flutter. He winced as his brother and his armature partner slammed against the rusted chain link walls.

He cursed himself, or the sickly shell of an Irken he had become. Lurr and the armature needed backup badly. Had Ress been an hundred years younger he would have gladly joined his brother at his side and ended no-name's wretched life. Alas, old age and failing health exiled him to the sidelines where he sat, wheezing, helpless, useless…

While wallowing in self-pity, Ress felt something tug on his respirator tube. He didn't bother to turn his head. He had only to glance up to spot Drah's scowling reflection in the glass. "Greetings lieutenant. How did you get up here?"

"Not important!" Drah snapped. "Call off the fight! Release my pupil at once or-"

Ress laughed at her demands. "Or you'll what? Kill me?" He laughed harder, choking on the mucus settling in his throat. "Two hundred years ago Lurr and I bare knuckle and gambled our way to small fortune in the alleyway just out there. With it we bought the property and built this stadium on our shared passion for gore and dreams of financial freedom. Then I was fighter- a warrior. Now look at me…a frail, withering defenseless old husk at the mercy of one of his slaves… Go on Drah, kill me. Make it quick."

"Have it your way." Without hesitation or a shred of remorse, she yanked back her scythe, slicing Ress's respirator in two. She couldn't help but snicker as her former ring master dropped to the floor, squirming at her feet like a grub. Ress reached for the ceiling, eyes bulging, gasping for breath. His time clock detonated, counting backwards rapidly. After a few agonizing moments, too many for Ress and far too few for Drah, Ress drowned in his own bodily fluids and died.

Drah nudged him with her scythe. He didn't budge aside from a stream of mucus trickling down the hole in the pit of his throat. Her farewell to him was a swift kick in the crotch. She then turned her attention to the fight below.

Iac struck high, clawing his way up Colossus's back, yanking on his antennae for dear life. Lurr took the opportunity to strike low, slicing the blade of his war quoit across Colossus's shins.

Drah froze at the sight of her beloved pupil dropping to the floor like a led weight, battered and bleeding. "Xirn!" she cried out, slamming her fists against the glass. Something, somewhere deep inside her subconscious the name Xirn manifested herself and she was compelled to shriek it as the living ring leader and the sentinel moved in on their fallen opponent. "XIRN!" She cried again, bounding the balcony glass until cracks formed at the impact of her fists. "XIRN! XIRN!

XIIIIIIIIIIIIIRN"

Colossus's eyes burst open to the sound of Drah's voice. "Xirn" he repeated inwardly as he struggled to pull himself upright. "Xirn" he whispered aloud. He knew that word. No, not just a word, a name…_his_ name!

Colossus reached up to her. "MOM, HELP!"

"Why did he call her 'mom?" Zim asked.

Skoodge growled in frustration. His antennae perked curiously. Zim had a good question. "I don't know. What's a mom? You know?"

Tat shrugged. '"I dunno. Don't ask me."

The smeets exchanged puzzled glances. Unable to find an answer, Skoodge shrugged off his curiosity and continued.

Lurr chopped him on the shoulder. "Keep still, you bastard!"

Unfazed, Colossus elbowed him in the chest, knocking him backwards on his ass. Iac tried to tackle Colossus, but he swatted the sentinel back as well. He stood, looking upward. "Mom!" he called out to Drah again, tears forming in his eyes as blurred, distorted memories flooded back to him. How could he ever forget Drah, the woman who gave him life?

"Xirn, look out!" Drah cried, pointing.

Colossus jumped back, barely avoiding a clean gutting by Lurr. He leapt over the Blood Sport brother and made a mad grab for his axe.

Lurr and Iac chased after him. "This ends NOW, no name!" Lurr vowed, extending his war quoits.

"It's already over." A dreadfully familiar voice stated over the sound system.

The entire audience and the three contenders froze instantly, turning their gaze to the main entrance. There an incredibly tall figure in white imperial robes hovered towards the arena. Behind him marched a swat team of commandoes. They split into groups of twenty and began herding the spectators to the exits with their taser lances.

"Your almighty tallest here-" Kalb announced his presence. "tending to an imperial security crisis. Everyone must evacuate the Bludgeon stadium immediately. That's an order!" Tallest Kalb motioned for a few of his royal guards to break through an opening into the arena.

They did so without hesitation, taking merely seconds to carve a hole into the ring with their lances. Upon completing their task, the royal guards stood aside, saluting Kalb as he passed through.

Colossus turned ghostly pale, quivering as tallest Kalb approached. A look of sheer hate and resentment illuminated Kalb's angular red eyes as their gaze fixed upon him.

"Back away! Drop your weapons!" A commando ordered as he and a small group of his fellow guards herded a startled Iac and Lurr away from the Colossus. They complied quickly without argument, raising their hands in the air.

The other commandoes circled Colossus, pointing their tasers directly up at him. Frozen with fear, Colossus glanced about in search for any possible way of escape. Sadly he found none.

"Back off!" Tallest Kalb ordered, shedding the bulky, decorative pieces to his imperial robes, leaving over the steel armor and whatever material was left to cover his legs and torso.

Three royal guards reluctantly backed away, allowing their tallest to stand before the Colossus face to face. His four remaining fingers retracted inward as the tips of his gauntlets transformed into crescent blades. "Clear the arena!" Kalb ordered. "I'll kill it myself."

The smeets were so engrossed in the tale not one of them heard him enter. Without warning, someone spun their chair around. Zim, Skoodge and Taat screamed in horror at the sight of their overseer leering over them.

Tyz cracked a thin smile on his pale, scarred face. "Having fun are we?"  
a/n: "Kill you Tonight" is by Type o Negative. This was pretty exciting, eh? Hopefully…? ~shrug~ Will this be Kalb and the Colossus's final show down? Can Drah come to her son's aid? What punishment does Tyz have in store for Zim, Skoodge and Taat? Will they even get to hear the rest of the tail? Please read and review and find out!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Highly Skeptical

The three smeets frantically rattled off explanations for their intrusion on Tyz's chamber in unison. They pointed fingers, adolescent voices cracking as they cried denial and begged for mercy. The volume was too much for Tyz's graying antennae to take. He backed away. "Calm down. You're not in trouble. I _knew_ you'd be up here."

"Traitor!" Zim pounced on Taat, grabbing him by the throat. "I **knew** you snitched to Sic!"

"NEVER!" Taat grabbed Zim's throat as well. They wrestled off the chair. Taat pinned Zim as they hit the floor.

"Enough you two!" Tyz yanked the taller smeet off Zim by his antennae. Zim and Taat continued to swing at each other. "Break it up I said! You're NOT in trouble; I already told you! And Taat never said anything to mistress Sic."

"Told you!"

Zim stuck his tongue out at him.

Skoodge stepped forward. "Th-then how did you know we here? The surveillance system is offline." He asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I watched you and Zim stow away in the elevator and sneak into my quarters weeks ago. I'm quite surprised to find Taat here though. I never saw him in here with you."

"Weeks ago?" Zim quoted the veteran, antennae twitching curiously. "We've only been up here for thirty minutes."

"Correction, Zim. You've been up here for almost an hour and a half."

"That means we missed the evaluation!" Skoodge lamented. He and the others groaned with disappointment.

Zim shoved Skoodge. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?!"

"Don't get all worked up over it." Tyz snickered as he flopped his old carcass on his recliner. "You all failed anyways."

Zim and Skoodge let out another disappointed groan. Taat shrugged indifferently.

"LIES!" Zim hissed. "I mastered every level of the holo-visor training! You tampered with my scores, old man!"

A frown formed on Tyz's face that stretched out his facial scar, distorting the shape of his eye. "Tampering with a soldier-to-be's stats are forbidden! You failed on your own accord!"

"Impossible!"

Tyz sighed, rubbing his temples. "I explained this to you already. You're too trigger happy. Yes you destroyed an exceptional number of enemy vessels, but you also gunned down half the virtual armada with them. Your arrogance and destructive impulses could be your undoing in a real battle one day. Keep it up, Zim, see what happens." The veteran warned. "And Skoodge-"

Skoodge stood to attention, quivering in his boots. "Yes sir?"

"You have the opposite problem. You lack confidence. During demonstrations you showed excellent piloting skills, but you choked on the simulated battle. You failed to destroy enough enemies. In a test it's not the end of the world, but in battle it will cost you your pak. The elite has no use for the hesitant, understand?"

Skoodge nodded. "Yes sir."

Tyz looked to Taat. "And _you_, you're the biggest disappointment here. You just didn't try. I'm not going to punish you three only because I feel acknowledging your own incompetence is punishment enough."

The smeets hung their heads in shame.

"Stand tall, soldiers!" Tyz snapped. "There will be other evaluations. The Irken military leaves no body behind if it can help it. Try harder and you will eventually pass and receive official elite training."

Zim swallowed his wounded pride. "You still never explained how you saw us sneak in here. You were still half way across the birthing factory in the holo-visor room when we left the snack line."

Tyz paused for a moment, expression deep in thought. "Well…its hard to explain. I saw you two do it, but I really see you. It was kind of a like a daydream. Ever sense I was your age I could hear and see things going on when most everyone else around me can't."

"Like what?"

"Glimpses of events seen through the eyes of some other Irken besides myself. That's the best way I can describe them. Sometimes their visions of the past or of the future. Sometimes their just random thoughts going on in another skull. The trances can last for seconds and sometimes hours. Even days-"

Zim and Taat burst out laughing. Skoodge looked away, trying to hold back a snickering fit himself.

Insulted, Tyz slammed his fist against the arm of his recliner. "You think I'm a liar?!"

"No of course not. We think you're old and senile." Taat replied.

"And a liar." Zim added.

Tyz gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to lash out at them. "These visions are real!"

"Can you prove it?" Skoodge asked, despite his common sense telling him not to agitate the overseer further. "I mean, elite medical scientists and psychoanalysts have documented the existence of Irkens born with mild telepathic abilities. But those Irkens are few and far between and they can only hypnotize or wipe the memories of beings of low intelligence for very brief periods. There's no Irken in recorded history that was proven to read minds or predict the future."

"This sounds crazy, I'm well aware of that." Tyz admitted. "I used to think the visions were stressed induced or some type of war flashbacks, but they became so clear as the years passed so vivid…They went away after the control brains attached my pak to me, but they eventually overpowered the pak and nothing has ever been able to suppress them again."

"What visions?" Zim snapped.

Tyz drummed his fingers against his knee. "The snack break before my first fleet battle with the Planet Jackers I watched Irk plummet into blackness because of the birth of a single smeet. Sure enough a half a lifetime later the birthing factory spawned you, Zim and horrible painful overload day part 1 commenced."

Zim blushed, flattered. Taat shook his head. "Still not buying it."

"A second premonition came to me months after they restored power to the birthing factory and hooked you up to the holo-visors. I watched you three closely and realized there would be a horrible painful overload day part 2."

Zim raised a brow at him. "If you knew we were going to break out onto the surface ahead of time why didn't you ever try to stop us?"

"The Colossus begged me not to. Told me the present had to run its course."

"Suuuure and Tallest Kalb told me to stuff Larb in the waste compacter." Taat sneered.

The smeets shared another hardy laugh at his expense.

"Don't mock me!" Tyz barked, pointing dramatically to the tall smeet. "You've seen the Colossus yourself! I **know** you have! Tell them!"

Skoodge looked to Taat. "Have you seen him?"

Taat shifted uncomfortably. "I see a lot of strange things when my medication kicks in: corpses lurking around semeiotics on their own, tiny females with colorful wings where their paks should be, food that sprouts legs and walks off my plate, entire hallways that burst spontaneously into flames, but I've never seen anything like the Colossus. Hallucinations are a side effect to my medication. It says so right on the bottle. They're scary as sputch! Why do you think I never want to take it!"

"The overseer's crazy! We all know that."

"You get it from me, Zim."

The smeet glared at the veteran, cursing his name inwardly. "He can't prove he's a telepath any better than he can prove that story he typed ever happened."

"The Legend of Colossus did happen! Every word of it is true!"

"But you can't prove it, can you?" Zim grinned. "Even if you could, the elite would interpret the story as slander against the empire."

"Hey!" Skoodge snapped. "He's letting us off easy. The least we could do for him is keep everything said here confidential between us."

"That means keep your big mouth shut." Taat ordered, poking Zim in the chest.

"Fine!" Zim slapped his hand away. "No arguments here."

Skoodge looked to the veteran. "Can you make a prediction now? Any kind of prediction?"

Tyz shook his head no. "It doesn't exactly work that way. I never learned how to control my visions."

"So you can't come up with any solid proof."

"He can't because there is none!" Zim's voice cracked, throat growing weary from shouting. "He's not a telepath; he's an overseer! Of course he can predict when we're about to do something that goes against the rules! He's paid to watch us! The adults probably planted a tracking device in our paks to make spying on us more efficient."

"So you three _are _catching on." Tyz chuckled, amused. "Tallest Miyuki _did_ order tracking devices to be placed on all smeets after horrible painful overload day part 2. I disabled the ones in your paks a few semesters ago during one of your virtual training sessions."

The smeets gasped in unison.

"But if the control brains monitoring the birthing factory detects this and links it back to you, you could be executed." Skoodge exclaimed.

"I know."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because the Colossus told me to. He's been watching you for a long time and he's intrigued by you three. Says your blessed."

The smeets looked to each other, confused. "How?" Skoodge asked.

"You're inquisitive, free minded people incapable of complete conformity- a quality few Irkens are born with now a days. You know these Irkens as 'defectives'."

The smeets huffed, insulted. "Zim is no defective! How dare you call us that!"

"Where is the Colossus anyways? Why doesn't he show himself?" Taat demanded.

"He can't. He's dead. He's been dead for almost three hundred years now. When Miyuki was measured the Almighty Tallest she erased all data on his existence from the control brains' memory banks. I had forgotten the Colossus completely myself when my pak was installed as a youth, but his living memory returned to me with my trance visions."

Skoodge held his aching head. "This isn't making any sense whatsoever."

Tyz stood. "It won't. Not until you hear the whole story. Stay and listen. I'll explain everything."

The smeets exchanged hesitant glances.

"Oh come on...." Tyz urged, grinning. "You have plenty of time to kill while the rest of the smeets celebrate their passing scores in the recreation hall."

"All right! All right! Tell us the rest of the story!" Zim moaned, caving in.

Tyz nodded. "Get comfortable." He ordered, pointing to the recliner.

The smeets hopped up and sat. "Okay." Taat sighed. "We're ready."

"This better be good." Zim sneered under his breath.

Skoodge elbowed him.

Tyz snickered. "You left off where Kalb arrived at the Bludgeon Stadium, correct?"

"Yes sir." They answered in unison.

Tyz cleared his throat and continued.

A/n: Sort of an intermission chapter so no song. I think I just killed what little sense I was making up until this point. Not the smartest move considering I haven't updated in a while. I promise this will all come together in the end. Please read and review. And happy belated Thanksgiving everybody!

PS: When Skoodge was talking about Irkens with mild telepathic abilities, I was basing that off of what Tak had done to Sara and attempted to do to Dib in "Tak the Hideous New Girl."


End file.
